Neverland Scraps Designs

SS Marathon Day #1

2012-01-27T23:08:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it, but I am doing a Speed Scrap Marathon at MouseScrappers. If I do all the Speed Scraps I will have scrapped sixteen new Disney layouts this weekend!! Today I did very well and scrapped all five speed scraps! Want to see the layouts?! Of course you do!

Speed Scrap #1

1. Pick one photo.
2. Pick your papers use at least 3 for your background. At least one paper needs to have polka dots.
3. Place your photo on the page any way you wish (landscape or portrait), but you need to make sure it's in the middle of the page.
4. At least 5 flowers on your page, but you can have more!! And at least one sparkle trail.

5. Put at least one metal element on your page or you can use doodles, ribbon or string.
6. Title and journaling Center your title under the photo using an Alpha of your choice and then add a subtitle in a different alpha than you used for the main title. And there must be at least 10 sentences of journaling.

7. Use any other embellies you want. buttons, word strip, flair etc.. apply your shadows and perhaps a hidden Mickey too!

Here is my layout:

Click here for credits

Speed Scrap #2

1. I want to see an odd number of photos. There needs to be at LEAST 3, but no more than 13 in total. Make one of your photos larger than the others.

2. Stack some papers for your background, at LEAST 1 patterned and 1 solid.

3. Put a frame around at least one of your photos. Be creative. Maybe use a circle frame around a square/rectangle photo or a square/rectangle frame around a round photo.

4. I love ribbons. I need to see at LEAST 2 different ribbons in your LO.

5. I need to see at least 10 different TYPES of elements. Two buttons, even if they are different colors/styles does NOT count as 2 elements, etc. Using those elements, create at least 3 clusters. Your ribbon and frame DO count towards the element count.

6. Since we're scrapping Disney I need either a hidden Mickey, pixie dust trail, or another character "hidden" in your LO. You don't have to include ALL of these, just one.

7. Title your LO. Add some journaling (at least 2 sentences) and date it if you wish. Don't forget your shadows!

Here is my layout:

*Does the kit look familiar?*

Click here for credits

Speed Scrap #3

1. I want to see a REALLY BIG photo on your page. (choose any many other photos as you'd like)

2. No tilting! Keep 'em straight.

3. Put at least 2 rows of stitching somewhere on your page.
4. Use a script font, or a handwriting font somewhere on your page. OR you could include an autograph!!
5. Stretch your stash by recoloring an item to match your page. You can include the original colored item or paper on your page too, but recolor at least 1 thing.
6. Date your page with some sort of tag or paper bit.
7. Creative to title on your page.

Here is my layout:

Click here for credits

Speed Scraps #4

1. Use either 3, 6 or 9 photos, but every third one must be different. For example, 2 rectangle and one round… or 2 vertical and 1 horizontal….two black and white and one colored… etc.

2. Use at least six different papers. You can use 9 if you wish or 12. Try to use a mixture of solids and patterned papers. These can be strips, circles, mats...
3. The girls love pink....so I want to see something pink in your LO. If you LO isn't girlie...then I will accept something red. It can be paper or an embellishment.
4. Use a splatter, sparkle, bling, pixie dust... etc.. on your page.
5. Include at least 3 sentences of journaling

6. Add a title to your page. You can use an alpha or a font.
7. Add ribbon, stitching, a word art, buttons or a Hidden Mickey

Here is my layout:

Click here for credits

Lastly, Speed Scraps #5

1. Pick four photos and crop them all into the same shape and size.
2. Pick two or three background papers and stack them. Add two or more additional papers anyway you wish.
3. Line up your photos either vertically or horizontally.
4. *Choose a word or two to describe your layout. *It can be a font, alpha, WA. (No journaling requirement but you can always do that if you wish)
5. Add some sort of scatter, trail or clustering of elements along most of one side of your photos.
6. Add an element or two (or WAY more) into one corner of your layout.
7. Title your page any way you wish however you must use an element to replace a word in your title.

Here is my layout

Click here for credits

Tomorrow there are six more speed scraps!

You should come!

Until next time . . .

ScrapMatters Girl Call

2012-01-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

Okay people this is how I started out at ScrapMatters, being on their ScrapMatters Girl team!!

**can't read the ad, go here for more details**

This is a great opportunity!!

If you have the time, this is the best thing to do! It is so rewarding all around for you, for your layouts with the inspiration you'll get and for the people you leave love on their layouts. Not only do the people appreciate the love that you leave, but you also develop a special bond with the people of ScrapMatters as you watch their family grow, their lives change, etc! It was an amazing experience while I was an SMG!!

Come apply!

Bingo Chat at SM

2012-01-20T19:21:00.000-05:00

Have you heard that ScrapMatters has a new challenge system and it involves Bingo?! That's right, come out to our Bingo Chat on February 2 to play a round of Bingo with your challenge cards. If you are new the system its a great time to learn and ask questions! If you can't wait until Feb 2 to learn more about the new Bingo Challenge, check out the forum here for answers to your questions!

Hope to see you there!

Week 1 & Week 2

2012-01-16T16:55:00.001-05:00

So last year I tried doing 52 Blessings in the beginning of the year. I failed miserably. I scrapped about my grandmother, our gps and something else. It was that last one that I began to feel self-conscious about what I was scrapping. It wasn't my every-day scrapping style. I need to scrap about people, events and sayings, not things! (Well minus my grandmother!)

Towards the end of the year, I started organizing my photos. I noticed that there were folders for almost every other day of the month. Then it hit me! I can't scrap 365 just because there is NO way I take photos daily! But I could scrap events happening week to week!

I put my thinking cap on, created a set of Pixie Plate Starters as my base and went from there. I have made the first version, almost finished the second and third version. By the time I am done all four versions, you should be able to flip them vertically and create at least 48 weekly layouts with no duplicates! It is taking some time, and patience on my end since my computer has been acting up these days, but I know I'll finish them up. If not, I'll be able to use them for my own scrapping pleasures throughout the year!

Since we just finished week two of the year, I worked on my two pages over the weekend

**please click here for credits**

I just posted the layouts today over at ScrapMatters and guess what?! It was featured on their GSO blog! You can read about my layout here. It totally made my day! What a great start to my Project 52!

Until next time . . .

Hair Donation

2012-01-13T14:37:00.001-05:00

A couple months back, I donated a little over 11 1/2 inches of hair to make a free wig for someone with cancer. This has been my third time in my life that I have donated my hair. The first time, I donated to Locks of Love while the second and third time I did a different non-profit organization that doesn't charge families for the wig. In the past ten years, my oldest has donated her hair twice. Both times it was to the non-profit organization. I am pleased to say that my youngest, who has very thin and fine hair, has donated for the first time to the same non-profit organization!! I am so proud of her as she follows in her mama and sister's footsteps, by doing a simple act of cutting her hair.

You want to see the before and then after photos?

Here are the before photos:

To celebrate her selfless act I scrapped these two pages of the process:

**please click here to read journaling and for credits**

**please click here for credits**

I am very proud of my daughter! She keeps asking if she'll get to meet the person who she donated her hair to, she doesn't understand the process. I wish there was a way to have her meet a child who has received a wig from donations as I know it would boost her spirits to see how her haircut made the difference.

So today I was surfing the net and guess what? BOTH of these layouts were featured on ScrapMatters Gallery Standout Blog!!

The first layout was picked on Wednesday, the day that I uploaded the layouts to the gallery. You can see my layout, what was said about my layout as well as see the other layouts that were picked for that day's blog here. The second layout was picked on Thursday. You can read about it here. I am just shocked. Here I was scrapping a layout to show my parents the process of my daughter donating her hair and in return my layouts were shown on the blog! What a great way to raise awareness for hair donation!!

That's all I got for today.

Wimpychompers Creations

2012-01-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

A little while ago, I did something so out of character for me and I still can't believe I've done it! You know how I blog about designers who are new to me and show you layouts that I've made with them? You know how when I find a designer that I really like, like Little Green Frog Designs, I talk about them a lot? Well one day, a couple months ago, I mentioned to WimpyChompers Creations that I really liked her products and told her that if she ever wanted a guest scrapper I would love a chance at being on her team! Little did I know that she would respond that she was offering me a full-time spot right then and there! I was shocked and excited!

However since then, she moved from her original store to a new store, Funky Playground Designs and is currently guesting this month at The DigiChick. Between her store move, repackaging all her products, my parents in for a visit, Thanksgiving, and the holidays, us going to his parents house, etc. I haven't been able to scrap very much-that and with our lack of internet, it was hard to download anything over 1mb! But that has all come to an end! Our internet seems to be somewhat more stable these days, family is all gone, we are done traveling and the Christmas holiday is behind us with warmer days ahead!

Just this week I was able to download two of WimpyChomper's kits and scrap two fabulous layouts!

The first kit that I downloaded was So Busted

Which I used to scrap about an accident on our street, due to all the speeders and bully's in our development.

**please click here for complete credits**

The second kit that I downloaded was Building Dreams, which was perfect to scrap about my dad's newest construction project, building a shed for his John Deere mowers

While we were home in July/August he was able to break ground so that he could get the footers taken care of before the ground hardened. When Spring comes, he'll start working on the frame of his shed so that he can get the mowers and other things out of their walk-out basement

**please click here for complete credits**

That last kit, Building Dreams, that is WimpyChompers newest kit that was just released today over at The DigiChick. Check out both of these kits at her guest store as well as check out all her other fabulous kits at her Funky Playground Designs Store!

Until next time . . .

Baker's Best!

2012-01-04T13:12:00.002-05:00

I had the privilege to meet up with another member from ScrapMatters. It was awesome because after living in the South for almost three years I discovered someone lived in my city! So one day in December we met up for an afternoon at McDonalds. We talked about our family's, our lives, digiscrapping and other online places. We started talking about a fellow designer friend, Connie Prince who happens to live in the South as well. I commented about how I would love to meet Connie since I knew her from my earlier years at Gotta Pixel. Hopefully one day before we leave here next month I am able to go with Jen and meet up with Connie Prince. If not, well it was neat to know that I lived within a two hour radius from Connie!

So while Jen and I were talking at McDonalds and the children were playing, she was telling me about all the creative teams that she was on as well as places that she visited. I was amazed at her versatility of her digi sites! Here for so many years I stayed at one site, finally moved on from that site only to spend another few more years at another site. It wasn't until recently that I started venturing out of my home and found Funky Playground Designs when I was offered a spot on their Sandbox Crew! Honestly if it weren't for that, I would still be at my home.

This week I made another appearance over at Gingerscraps. A while back I had done a one kit call for a designer there, but that was about all I had devoted to the site. Sad, I know. I wished I had stuck around a little bit more because their challenges are a whole lot of fun and their designers are really talented!

The first challenge that I did this week was their Mini Kit Challenge. We had to use Sugar Kissed Designs Tranquility in our layout.

At first I was timid about the coloring, if you remember I am not a fan of pastels, let alone blues. But after downloading the kit I was thankful that I participated in the challenge because it turned out to be one of my favorite layouts that I've made in a while!

**please click here for complete credits**

So I check back in the forum and gallery to find that this layout had been nominated for their Baker's Best! Basically what it is, is from there, they take all the layouts that were nominated and pick one of them to be the layout of the week! If that isn't awesome, while looking through the thread, I noticed that another one of my layouts had been nominated as well!!

**please click here for complete credits**

Not only did I have one layout in GingerScraps' Baker's Best, I had two!

I can't believe it and am in shock myself! But I have to admit, this time that I have taken off has made me appreciate my time scrapping which in result is producing layouts that I enjoy and really love!

That's all I got today....

New Years

2012-01-03T07:27:00.000-05:00

Another New Years post, really? This year, my husband and I stayed up to watch the New Year ring in on television. Every year we say the same thing, "This is going to be Dick Clark's last year" and every year we are wrong. This year, however I am thinking it will be his last year. Just minutes before the ball dropped, I grabbed my camera and took photos of my girls sleeping as you know my girls can never stay awake that late! Then I came in our bedroom and started taking photos of the ball dropping. Every year I try to do the same thing, documenting the ball dropping, what we are doing, what we look like, etc. This year I believe is the first year that I actually scrapped those photos!

I was able to get GeniaBeana Scraps Almost Midnight kit,

which almost perfectly matched the colors from the television! I used this kit and a few other add-ons from Almost Midnight to scrap this layout of what we saw on television the night we rang in the New Year

**please click here for complete credits**

I love this layout and how it turned out, all because I found an amazing product from GeniaBeana Scraps!

Until next time . . .

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:15:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

What did you do to celebrate?

This year I stayed awake, took photos of the children sleeping and watched the ball drop. As soon as they started singing, I took more photos of the children sleeping and then went to bed! Yup, we know how to ring in with style!!

Today I wanted to show you a new kit, These Special Moments, from the Funky Playground Designers,

I think the colors are beautiful! I am really in love with the layout that I created from this kit

**click here for credits**

I love the layout and love that I was able to capture the playful side of my two girls!

That's all I have for now, but I am sure as the month progresses I'll have more layouts to share with you!

Until next time . . .

GSO @ MSS

2011-11-05T14:15:00.000-04:00

I always wanted to do that! I see these posts all the time at digi sites, ct forums and other places but never really did them myself. Today it is my turn to mention that a layout was picked for Me So Scrappy's Gallery Stand Out Blog!!

**please click here for complete credits**

I really threw this layout together, but apparently when I am quick and nonchalant with my layouts people like the layering on them! Seriously I don't really know what made this layout stand out in the gallery amongst all the other beautiful layouts, but it sure made my day to be mentioned on their blog!

You can read about it here

Funky Playground DSD Fun

2011-11-04T05:26:00.001-04:00

Check it out!

FPD has some great activities planned for DSD. We will kickoff DSD with a speed scrap hosted by yours truly. Then on November 4th, a 40% sale will begin in our store that lasts through November 7th. We have two forum games planned that are being hosted by our wonderful site CT. And every order of $15 or more, placed 11/4 - 11/7, will be entered in to a drawing and one lucky person will receive a full refund (one entry per person).

Ready to get shopping now? The November Playgroup Grab Bags are already in the store. Each grab bag is only $3. Don't wait cause come November 30, the designers will be unpacking these amazing bags.

Our November Collab, We Are Family, is in the store now and can be picked up for 50% off through November 5th.

And our November FWP is here now. Picture Perfect is a collab between the designers and site CT. Andi if I do say so, it turned out amazing. Spend $12 in the store and you will pick up Picture Perfect for free.

I hope everyone has a wonderful DSD weekend. Make sure you stop by the store and forums to take advantage of all the events we have planned

You'll want to check this out!

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, its no secret.

I love scrapping with Little Green Frog Designs products!

Her templates are easy to use and filled with such creativity that you can add/remove but turn that template in to your own personal layout! I love how easy she makes it to scrap with her templates!

This week, she released a wonderful template set, Build it Yourself: Short Stacks

This product is jammed packed with awesome templates! Seriously for only $3.00 you get " three template packs. One pack of 6 cluster templates, one pack of 6 paper piece templates and one pack of 4 12x12 stacked paper templates" (taken from her description)

It is an amazing product!

I was able to scrap with it and scrapped not just one layout, but three new layouts using this one produc tof Little Green Frog Designs

**click here for credits**

Three amazing layouts from one amazing product!

Check it out!

We are Family

2011-11-01T06:02:00.000-04:00

The designers at Funky Playground have created a beautiful kit that is only available for the month of November. So if you like what you see, make sure you pick it up before November 30 when it will be retired from the store!

This month they've created this beautiful kit, We are Family

This kit is filled with beautiful papers and fabulous elements! I loved going through my downloads, looking to see what was included. It is an amazing price for an even more amazing purchase!

This is how I scrapped this kit:

**click here for credits**

You like that template that I used? It too is included in the purchase of We are Family!

Check it out before its gone!

Also, this month the designers and creative team (that's me) got together and created a Free with Purchase kit, Picture Perfect

Just like We are Family, this kit offers a ton of papers and elements! Seriously you could use this kit to scrap your photos over and over again as it is jammed packed with wonderful goodness!

Here is how I scrapped with it

**click here for credits**

Well that's all the amazing goodness I can show you today from the designers at Funky Playground. Keep checking back as I know this month will be filled with lots of layouts and lots of yummy goodness!

Until next time . . . .

A few more

2011-10-25T14:55:00.000-04:00

I have been really busy this month and scrapping really hasn't been my focus! Here are just a few layouts that I've created recently

I was determined to use a boy kit and scrap it for a girl. At first it was hard overlooking all the boy elements, but as I started scrapping, the page took life for my youngest daughter playing "Cats Cradle"

**click here for credits**

Lastly, I was able to play with a newer (to me) designer Cathy K's Autumn Days. I really love her quality of elements and papers. I know I'll be using this kit again for sure!

**click here for credits**

I know I'll be scrapping some more, especially in November when the ScrapMatters Designers come out with their new MAK products!

Until then . . .

Mix a Kit: October

2011-10-05T20:17:00.001-04:00

Yeah!! The designers at ScrapMatters have done it again! That's right, this month they have a beautiful color swatch that all the designers have created products. You can check out all the products here or you can just look at the layouts that I've made with Dream Big Designs, GeniaBeana Scraps, Haynay Designs and Plum Dumpling Designs products!

**click here for credits**

Those are just a few layouts of the products that were created with this month MAK products. You should really check them out!

Until next time . . .

Scrapped a few

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've not felt like scrapping much these days. I don't know what is up with me but I just can't bring myself to complete a layout. Don't get me wrong, I've scrapped, but right before finishing my layout I always delete it because I am unhappy with how it looks in the end. I think scrapping sixty layouts last month put me over the edge and its making it near impossible to scrap this month! Eek, I hope I get over this soon because I am quickly falling behind on my ct requirements!

But I am happy to say that I've scrapped these two pages this week

**click here for credits**

Hopefully next week I'll get some motivation and start scrapping again. If not, I'll have the cleanest house because that seems to be all I've been doing these days!

Well, until next time . . .

A Noise in the Attic

2011-10-01T08:05:00.000-04:00

It's that time of the month again!! The Funky Playground Designers have gotten together and created this beautiful and creepy Halloween kit, A Noise in the Attic

With this purchase, you get four templates which I used to make my layout of my neighbor's house decorated for Halloween last year:

**click here for credits**

If you like this kit, make sure you pick it up by the end of month. Once the calendar flips over to November, this kit will be retired forever!

Until next time

Chuck E Cheese Layouts

2011-09-12T15:36:00.000-04:00

My children love Chuck E. Cheese. It all happened when we moved down south almost three years ago. We moved the weekend of Easter, just two weeks before our youngest's birthday. We had the thought that our household items would arrive shortly after we arrived. Little did we know that the weekend we'd move down south, a horrible tornado would move through the area knocking out all the computers which had our tracking number of household belongings leaving them lost until the computers were set back up and connected to the mainframe. It was horrible, for two weeks we lived in our new home sleeping on air mattresses. We ended up buying a pot and a pan as well as paper plates, utensils, etc so that we could live in the house until our things were delivered. The day of my daughter's birthday, she had no presents because they were with the moving truck, my husband and I decided to take the girls to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate! The girls loved it and the youngest completely overlooked no presents because she got to play all dat at Chuck E. Cheese. Since then I've taken the girls back to Chuck E. Cheese and had collected quite a few photos that needed scrapped.

North Meets South Studios teamed up and created Charlie's Arcade, which is perfect for those said photos!

Using this kit and several other products I scrapped a four page spread of the girls at Chuck E. Cheese:

**click here for journaling and credits**

**Click here for credits**

**click here for credits**

**click here for journaling and credits**

That about sums up our Chuck E. Cheese experience. I am sure we'll go there one more time before we move away from this installation. That also means I'll get more use out of this fabulous kit!

Until next time . . .

I will not forget!

2011-09-11T03:30:00.009-04:00

I will not stop writing about the events that happened on September 11, 2001. Last year I wrote from my heart and even gave out a freebie for listening to my words. Imagine my horror to get email after email saying "who cares", "so what" and many other hateful words. I never in my life thought I would hear such negative words towards something that is so dear to not just myself but many Americans and even other citizens of other countries around the world!

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the day the world stood still, clenching on to the news coming from the radios, television and internet. Many couldn't get through to their families as the phone lines were clogged with callers. Parents were picking their children up from school in fear that another terrorist attack would happen. People, who never knew each other, held on tight and prayed together as a family asking God to watch over those people affected in the attacks as well as the rest of the country.

I will not forget that morning, waking to my newborn baby, feeding her while watching the morning news as the events unfolded. I had turned the tv on just minutes after they started airing the information, watching it over and over again thinking "this must be a mistake, not on our soil" But then hearing the news media saying it was a terrorist attack made me second-guess my thoughts and trust in the media. A little bit later watching as the second plane crashed in to the second tower, wondering what those people were thinking the last few minutes of their lives, crying for their families as they watched their loved one crash into a building that held thousands of many other people! The heartache that I felt, the sadness was overwhelming.

I will never forget and neither should you. When you forget or pass on what happened that day, the deaths of all those people were in vain and the terrorist won their victory; just a few years later.

I was looking through a box of photos earlier this week, when I stumbled across photos from a visit to New York when I was a teenager. As I looked at the photos, I remembered that day like it was yesterday; my father telling me "see those towers over there? They are special, they are identical twins" That was the first and last time I ever saw the towers. When I was looking at the photos, I told my girls about my visit to New York with my parents, how when we go back we'll never see them again. Its sad to think of a piece in history, gone forever.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is asking all Americans to observe a moment of silence at 1 p.m. Eastern time to remember the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Americans are asked to "cease all regular activity for one minute to reflect on the lives lost and those affected by the tragedies of 9/11."

We need to give more than just a minute . . . . .

On Friday, I was driving in the car and the country radio station played a song that left me in tears of sadness, remembrance for those who lost their lives, as well as the message of the song ringing through my heart that I need to be diligent in telling others about God.

Listen to this song with an open heart, take heed to the words:

On our news and radio, everyone has been asking "what are you going to do to pass the hope?" For a limited time being, I am passing the hope of our freedom with our Patriotic Pride, that every single American needs to have!

Don't forget those fallen, never lose the memory of that day!

Patriotic Pride includes the following:

5 Textured Papers

Bead Scatter

Border

Box

2 Buttons

Cherry Blossom

Clip

2 Flowers

1 Frame

1 Ivy

2 Leaves

1 Mat

1 Paint Splatter

1 Ribbon

1 Staple

1 Star Cluster

2 Stitches

4 Wordtabs

Complete Upper, Lower and Symbol Alpha

Thank you for taking the time to download this product!
This product is no longer available for free.
If you would like to purchase Patriotic Pride, you will be able to find it in the Neverland Scraps Blog Store in the upcoming days.

Until next time . . . . .

Calendar Blog Hop

2011-09-09T07:00:00.018-04:00

Good morning!! I trust you all have had a good night's rest!
I have a surprise for you! Today I am participating in GeniaBeana Scraps Calendar Blog Hop! That's right, if you are following the Blog Hop, you should have come from GeniaBeana Scraps blog as I am the second blog in the blog hop!

Today I have not one, but two calendar pages for you!
I picked the months of February (my favorite month) and October!

For the month of Feburary, I used GeniaBeana Scraps Wild About You, Wild About You Cardstocks and Wild About You Add on Alpha mixed with Go Ahead and Brag v.3

You can download February's Calendar Page here:

DropBox

MediaFire

4Shared

For October's page, I used GeniaBeana Scraps Haunted mixed with Go Ahead and Brag v.2

You can download October's Calendar Page here:

Dropbox

MediaFire

4Shared

If you are not following the blog hop, I think you should check it out as GeniaBeana Scraps Creative Team have created a twelve month 5x7 brag book album for you! To find all the stops in the hop, run over to GeniaBeana Scraps Blog or just continue from my blog to AussieGirl Scraps Blog

Did you know that GeniaBeana Scraps is having a CREATIVE TEAM CALL?

You can read more about it here

She is a great designer with fabulous products!

I hope you apply!

Not sure if you are a good fit with GeniaBeana Scraps style of design? I got more good news for you! If you check out this blog post, you'll find a beautiful anniversary freebie!

Oh and I forgot to tell you! All of GeniaBeana Scraps products are currently on sale!

This is a realy great sale!

Make sure you check out all of her products!

Now on to the rest of the blog hop!
Head on over to AussieGirl Scraps blog
but if you get lost, you can always go back to GeniaBeana Scraps Blog

Until next time . . .

Can I brag?

2011-09-08T07:29:00.000-04:00

I have been an active member at ScrapMatters for over three years; I know long time! During my three years I always joked with the admins that I always wanted to be an admin when I grew up; hinting that I wanted a position as admin! Imagine my shock, during my Summer vacation to get an email asking if I would like to contribute articles and whatnot to a new feature at ScrapMatters! I was estactic! I accepted almost immediately and found that my first assignment to be an article on Road Trips and somehow applying a scrapbooking twist. After just going on a majore road trip, I knew the angle of my article and immediately wrote my thoughts.

What is ScrapMatters newest feature?

You know each month they have been doing newsletters? Now, they have done away with the newsletters and they will be doing a quartely magazine (e-zine) That's right, starting with this month, September, you should have gotten the first edition of ScrapMatters Magazine!

I hope you have because if you turn to page 30-something, you'll see my very first published article!

And yes, those are my photos that I took while at Yellowstone National Park! There are other photos and layouts throughout my article, which is a few pages long! You need to check it out.

If you haven't already, sign up for the magazine because the next edition will be coming out in December! I am already putting together my next article, which I think you will really enjoy!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, not only am I writing articles for the ScrapMatters Magazine, I am now considered Admin at the site! I was thrilled the day I noticed my byline had been changed from "when I grow up I want to be admin" to "Admin" almost as if I had grown into my new role!

Until next time . . .

Shadow like Tanya

2011-09-07T20:11:00.000-04:00

You all know I am a Paint Shop Pro girl when I scrap. I love my program, love how easy it is, love that I dont have to think about how to do something when I am scrapping in Paint Shop Pro. Well earlier this week, I heard some awesome reviews about a style called Shadow Like Tanya

At first I never thought I would pick this style set up since I dont scrap in Photoshop. Dont get me wrong, I own Photoshop, I just dont scrap using the program. When I used to design, I used to design using Photoshop, unless I was creating a template, that was done in Paint Shop Pro!

One day I decided to go ahead and get it, since I am not happy with the way that Paint Shop shadows. I figured I could scrap using Paint Shop Pro, save as a working PSD and open in Photoshop where I could apply the shadows. I did this for one layout and thought it was a huge pain to save, close, open and shadow, especially since I like to shadow as I go! I got really brave and decided to scrap using just Photoshop and let me tell you, since getting this style set and scrapping with just Photoshop, I've been going nuts with the layouts! I can't believe the shadows, the look, the depth of the layouts, its amazing!

Here is just one example of my layouts using this style set

**click here for credits and journaling**

Isn't it amazing?! I love this style set and had to tell you about it because let's face it, it is worth the money because not only will your shadowing improve, but your layouts will look so much better!

Until next time. . . .

Mix a Kit

2011-09-05T20:01:00.000-04:00

Every month the ScrapMatters designers get together and use one color pallate and create a handful of matching products! This month's Mix a Kit had an overwhelming amount of products uploaded to the store! I was amazed and downloaded at least five designers Mix a Kits! I am not going to show you all their products, go to the store, check them out! But what I am going to show you are my layouts created with some of the Mix a Kit products!!

**please click here for credits and journaling**

**please click here for credits**

And you know that last one, it was picked for Gallery Standout at ScrapMatters!

I tell you I've been on a scrapping roll lately and its always good for your ego when your layouts get noticed like Gallery Standout or Layout of the Week! I dont know what it was, but last month I was thinking my layouts were dull, boring, the same old, but this month I've been "feeling" it and scrapping with my heart and soul. I guess it has been paying off because people have been noticing too!!

Well its time for me to get going,

until next time . . .

More beautiful layouts

2011-09-03T19:38:00.000-04:00

I have been on a scrapping roll lately! I dont know what has gotten in to me, but the juices have been flowing and the pages have been created! There have been some days that I've scrapped up to six layouts in one day! I dont know where it all came from and no, I am not ignoring my family! I guess I've been inspired lately!

I picked up Jen Yurko and Girl Boy Girl Designs, Self Indulgence

This kit is not normally my style as I am not a doodle person, but for some reason I had to have this kit and had to scrapbook with it. When I downloaded it, I knew exactly what photos I wanted to scrap

**please click here for credits and journaling**

Isn't it the funniest set of photos?! My oldest didn't like the flower girl dress while the youngest loved the dress and didn't want to take it off. I never expected to scrap these photos, but they were just too priceless to hide in the thousands of unscrapped photos on my hard drive!

The next layout was a hard layout to scrap. Basically we've lived in the same military house for two years while my husband has been stationed here in the South. When we first moved here, we were told the houses were being remodeled and that we could do whatever we wanted to the walls (paint, wallpaper, etc). I knew my husband's duty assignment was three years here so I naturally assumed we'd be in the house for three years. Little did that I know almost two years to the date, the military would move us out of our home into a newly remodeled home. It was a joyous day, however we were sad because for those two years I had been marking the girls growth on our kitchen doorjam. This layout is about the moment we walked through the home for the last time, reflecting on the two years we had spent in that home

**please click here for credits and journaling**

Last month my oldest daughter turned ten years old; how did that happen?! When you are in the military and you turn ten you are supposed to get a military identification card. My daughter knew this year she was going to get one and has been talking about it since the calendar turned 2011! She waited almost two weeks past her birthday for her scheduled appointment and finally got her military identification card. When she came home, she was showing everyone, estactic that she had finally "arrived" in the military world! She was in such a good mood that she asked me to take some photos. These are photos from our photo shoot:

**please click here for credits and journaling**

Well I guess I better close with those for now because Im sure I'll have another handful of layouts to share with you in another blog post!

Autumn Apple Crisp

2011-09-02T16:34:00.000-04:00

The designers at Funky Playground have created a beautiful Autumn kit, Autumn Apple Crisp

Autumn Apple Crisp is a limited edition kit that will only be available September 1 - 30.

Whispers of crisp Autumn days are in the air as children head back to school with a twinkle in their eye and an apple for their favorite teacher!

Isn't it a beautiful kit?

I was able to scrap with this kit and here is my layout:

**please click here for journaling and credits**

Make sure you pick up this beautiful creation before the end of the month and gone from the store!

Until next time . . . .

Photo Actions

2011-09-01T07:14:00.001-04:00

I dont know what is up with me, maybe it is my old age, but I am starting to see the benefit of using Photoshop more and more! Earlier last week, I contacted a new for me designer, Monkey Mesh Designs, about a Photo Action Testing Call. If you know me, you know I test actions in Photoshop CS2 for Wendyzine Scraps over at Scrapbook Graphics and have been for quite some time! When I applied for Monkey Mesh Designs team, I didn't expect to get accepted. Imagine my excitement when she replied almost instantly with a "yes" response!! Since then I've been happily testing out her photo actions and let me tell you they are AMAZING! She just recently started selling her actions in her personal store. Even though she just recently started selling them, you should really check out her beautiful photo actions!!

One of my favorite photo actions is, Urban Jungle

I really like this action and have used it in a couple layouts of mine. Sadly, because the designer hasn't released the product, I cannot post the layout online. However, I believe tomorrow I can post my layout using this photo action, showing you how beautiful the action plays!

Do you want to check out Monkey Mesh Designs photo action, but afraid to spend money? Well have no fear because Monkey Mesh Designs currently has this photo action as a freebie for a limited time allowing you a chance at playing with her fast, easy and affordable photo actions!

I can't give you the link here, but you have to go to her store to get it!

Until next time . . . .

Can you believe, GSO?

2011-08-24T13:58:00.000-04:00

I was strolling through Funky Playground Designs Challenges and I noticed there was a Journaling Challenge to scrapbook a photoless layout on the subject of a new chapter or school days. Having never done a photoless layout, that I can remember, I knew what I wanted to do for this challenge. To make that layout a success, I used Trixie Scraps Designs Master Chef and Master Chef Clusters using Little Green Frog Designs Talk To Me Template Pack

Now if you know me, you know I have a little girl who adores cooking. When I saw Trixie Scraps Designs newest kit, I knew I would be scrapping a lot of pages of my youngest and her desire for cooking. When I saw the August Journaling Challenge, it jumped start scrapping my daughter and her love for cooking. I've always wanted to scrap about her passion, but never really knew where to start; that is until I scrapped this layout:

**please click here for journaling (which you will want to read) as well as credits**

Can you believe that layout was picked for Gallery Standout at ScrapMatters?

That's right, you can see my layout in their blog post here.

Earlier this year I printed our 2009 Disney Vacation Album. It was 100-pages filled from cover to cover with awesome layouts of our time at Disney. When I finished the album and sent it off to Winkflash, I told myself that I would not scrap any more of those photos during our vacation. Then the other day, I was thinking that there were a few photos of the girls that I've not scrapped and didn't want to forget the memory. It was then that I decided I will be scrapping the occassional layout of the girls at Disney, which will be included in either their personal album or the combined album of both of the girls. After I decided to do this, I stumbled across a kit, Cirque de Funk - Revamped that I generally would not have photos to scrap, but the closer I looked, I realized would be perfect for the series of photos that we took in Magic Kingdom.

I am sure you are looking at that kit thinking, "what would she use that to scrap of Magic Kingdom?" To give the layout the best look, I used Trixie Scrap Designs Old Glory Templates

And put together this layout of my daughter playing with the animal stocks over by Ariel's Grotto

**please click here for credits and journaling**

Well that is all I have for the moment. I know this coming Friday, there will be a ton of new releases which will mean I will have a ton of new layouts using their fabulous products!!

Until next time . . . .

Im Scrapping again!

2011-08-19T10:54:00.001-04:00

I've been back for about a week or so and I've already been scrapping my heart out! I think it is safe to say that I've missed scrapping, either that or I am trying to preserve what memory I can remember of our recent road trip! I dont think it is the latter and probably is the first! I've been away from home since the last week in June and haven't scrapped a page until I got home. I am shocked I still knew how to scrapbook!

Here are a few layouts that I've scrapped recently:

You all know we went to Universal Studios earlier this year. You remember the only reason why we went to Universal Stuios was to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, right? When I saw that Jady Day had come out with A Wizarding World, I knew I needed to pick it up and scrapbook our time visitng Harry's world!

And I did! I put together this fabulous layout of the girls meeting the conductor at Hogwarts Express

**click here for credits**

I hope to scrapbook more of those photos that I took that day, but for now, I am very pleased with the one layout that I have of our exploration in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Plum Dumpling Designs came out with a new kit while I was on vacation called The Open Road.

When I came home, saw the kit, I realized it was a perfect for me and my thousands of photos that I took during our road trip! But as I was browsing through her store, I noticed she had a neat element pack, Vintage Postcard Maker, that I couldn't resist and had to pick up and incorporate in my layouts.

I think the Vintage Postcard Maker is a really creative product and I am glad that I stumbled across it because while we were on our road trip, I kept asking where all the postcards were as we couldn't find any of them in the gift shops! So putting her two products together, I created this layout

**please click here for credits and journaling**

Speaking of road trip, did you notice that Little Green Frog Designs is having a Blog Template Challenge? Basically you use her template and link back to your layout on her blog. The winner will get a gift card to her store at the beginning of next month. It really is a win, win situation, especially if you are not picked for the gift card at the end of the month. If you dont win the gift card to her store, you won because you've gotten a layout completed in your album! Anyways, this month is a two page template. When I saw it, I knew I wanted to scrapbook about Mount Rushmore, getting as many photos on to the page. When I was trying to figure out what kind of kit I wanted to use, all I could think of was something patriotic since we had gone there around Independence Day. So I picked up Trixie Scraps Designs and Sarah Bennett's collab kit, Old Glory

And using Little Green Frog Designs template and this kit I created this two page spread of our visit to Mount Rushmore

Page One:

**Please click here for credits and journaling**

Page Two:

**Please click here for credits and journaling**

Charm City Scraps is a new designer over at Funky Playground Designs. When I saw her uploading product to her store, I couldn't help but find myself checking out Happy Feet.

Years ago my children were in ballet. My oldest was in ballet for three years while my youngest was in ballet for a year. They both loved it and I took countless photos of them practicing. Ballet kits are hard to come by because they are usually not the right color of the girls outfit. But when I saw this kit I knew I could use it over and over again for my daughter's ballet photos!

**please click here for credits and journaling**

Oh and as a side note, this ballet layout was picked for LOTW nomination over at Funky Playground Designs! Am I on a roll or what?! The only thing is I know it will not be picked for LOTW as I am the one picking this week's winner! It wouldn't be right if I picked my own layout! So needless to say I'll have to be pleased and honored with being nominated!

Obviously by now you've noticed that I am a huge fan of Little Green Frog Designs templates. I usually try to pick up two or three a month just because I have to have them! What can I say she is super talented! This week I picked up Breakthrough Template Pack

I love this template pack and already found myself using two of the four templates! I imagine today I'll probably use the other two templates just because this pack is an awesome addition to her store!

Yesterday I picked up Funky Playground Designs, Free with Purchase kit, Sisterhood, Forever

Isn't this kit pretty?! I love the pop of the colors and the beauty that is just within the packaging of this kit! I was so excited as I downloaded it, not sure of what I was going to scrap. When I unzipped and looked at everything inside the kit, I knew the direction that I wanted my layout to go

**please click here for credits**

Isn't that just the cutest? If you can't read the wordtab, it says "A perfect sister I am not, but thankful for the one I've got" which is perfect for my girls as they often fight but in the end are really best friends! I love this layout and how it all came together!

Lastly, using the above template pack and Funky Playground Designs store collab, Corduroy Boy

I was able to scrapbook a special moment between my daughter and my newest nephew during our visit in Pennsylvania

**please click here for credits and journaling**

Well that was a mouthful this blog entry! I knew I scrapped a lot but didn't realize how much I've been scrapping. I know today I plan on scrapping a couple layouts as I try to get caught up on what I've missed during the month that I've been gone! When I get those scrapped, I'll make sure I show them off here and showing you the yummy goodness that I have been using!

Until next time . . . .

Layout of the Week & other things

2011-08-14T20:55:00.000-04:00

ScrapMatters is hosting their August Stack Exchange using Erica Zane's Sunburn Savvy

Click here for more details about this months stack exchange

I picked up the kit and put together this cluster

To see the other stacks, check out the August Stack Exchange Gallery

I think this month is going to have some awesome and fabulous submissions!

To give this kit some added exposure, I scrapped a layout of the girls at Mackinac Island this past month.

**click here for credits and journaling**

Can you imagine my shock this afternoon when I got home from church and saw that this layout made Layout of the Week at ScrapMatters?! Its true! You can read about the layout being picked in the ScrapMatters forum! It was truly an awesome experience that I had to share with each of my readers!

I am slowly making my way back to the online world since getting back from our vacation. Hopefully in the next week or so my blog will be hopping with new posts and layouts!

Until next time . . . .

Garden Party Blog Hop

2011-08-06T10:00:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th Birthday ScrapMatters!!

Lots of things are happening at ScrapMatters this weekend that you will not want to miss out!

I know, I know, you are here for the blog train!

If you are following the blog train, you should have come from Major Scrapitude's blog. Haven't the freebies been fabulous so far? Don't forget that there is a bonus while participating in this blog train! For more details and information, check out the ScrapMatters Blog.

My blog train freebie is using ScrapMatters Design Team Collaboration Garden Party, which is currently free with a $20.00 purchase. It is a great time to pick up this fabulous product!

Using Garden Party, I've put together this wonderful frame cluster!

Which you can pick up at either of these sites:

**I am sorry but the links have been deleted. You can find this cluster and all the other ScrapMatters Garden Party Blog Freebies in the store later this month**

**Make sure you pick up your freebie before August 12 as the link will be disabled and all of the Blog Train goodies will be packaged and sold in the ScrapMatters Store**

Now that you've seen what is happening at ScrapMatters this weekend and picked up your cluster freebie, why not head on over to Created by Heather's blog to see what is in store for you. And remember if you ever get lost on this adventure, you can always go to ScrapMatters Blog for a full listing of all those participating in this wonderful blog train!

Please note that not everyone lives on the same time zone. If a blog hasn't been updated, be patient and check back again later in the day.

Until next time . . .

Under the Sea

2011-07-31T16:29:00.000-04:00

I was strolling through Digishop Talk earlier this week and stumbled across Kristi W Designs. I know I am always telling you about a designer being new(er) to me and sharing their fabulous product with you and showing layouts that I've created with their product, but here is another example of the fine creativity that I found with Kristi W Designs using her new Under the Sea

Isn't that kit just adorable?

I loved the kit and loved it even more because the day I saw that kit I had just taken photos of my girls playing with their mermaids out by the pool! I knew this kit would be perfect for those photos!

**click here for credits**

Why not head over to Kristi W Designs store and check out all of her products!

Oh and while you are at it, make sure you stop on by my blog this coming weekend for a fabulous blog post that you wont want to miss!

Until next time . . .

More Memories

2011-06-17T12:52:00.000-04:00

I dont know what it is with me lately, but lately I've been thinking about when my husband was deployed and what life was like. Maybe it is the impending deployment of our friends here on post, maybe it is the worry in my heart that my husband will be deploying again here in a few months or maybe it is the fact that I am ready to scrap about those many long months that he was gone leaving our family to be strong, holding together, hoping and praying for his safe return.

Today I dug deep when I scrapped this layout. Dream Big Designs came out with a new kit, Monster Truck Madness

At first I wasn't going to scrap with it. I was going to pass on the kit, but the colors spoke to me because I knew, while looking at the folders of photos from years past, that I had photos that I could scrap with this kit. So like I said above, I dug deep and scrapbooked photos from the last thing we did as a family before my husband deployed to Iraq.

**click here for credits**

We knew that in a couple of months my husband was going to deploy and our family would change forever. My parents suggested doing something as a family before he left and suggested Knobles. We drove to Knobles which was about an hour and a half away. It was a hot day so we took the girls clothes off down to their swimming suits and let them walk around the park with their cover-ups to keep them cool. What we didn't know is that Knobles offers free admission to the soldier if they have their ID. My husband got his free admission and we paid the extra for the oldest to ride rollercoasters since she had been begging to ride one. My husband wanted to be the first one to take her on the rollercoaster and didn't want to wait until after he got back, or worse...so the two of them went on their rollercoaster with screams the whole length of the ride! My husband came over to my youngest and I screaming "I am NEVER doing that again" I thought he was scared of the ride and started laughing until I noticed my oldest was in tears! Apparently it was a wooden rollercoaster that had a shared seatbelt and she almost fell out several times due to the size difference between my husband and herself! Poor girl, we had paid the extra $10.00 to find out she hated rollercoasters! Eventually we all laughed and stayed with the kiddie rides, which was completely fine with my husband and myself! The day was a fun day, but both my husband and I knew it was going to be one of the last ones as a family in a very long time.

I am glad I was able to scrap this layout and I see myself scrapping more and more from the time when my husband enlisted through his deployment. I think I am ready to face the emotions that flooded each one of us during those many, MANY long months apart.

Until next time . . .

Awana

2011-06-16T12:36:00.000-04:00

For some, you know what Awana is while others are wondering what in the world Awana is! Awana is an evening program ran weekly at our church during the worship service.

Awana stands for

Approved

Workman

Are

Not

Ashamed

II Timothy 2:15

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

(New King James Version)

My children love going to Awana every Sunday evening. They love learning stories from the Bible, being able to apply Biblical truths to their lives and learn Bible verses to hide in their hearts. The youngest has a harder time learning the Bible verses and struggles but enjoys her time in her classes. The oldest has been thriving week after week during her classtime. She was the only kid to go through her two books and to go through the Silver and Gold edition in both books. At the end of the year, she was less than 30 verses shy of finishing her Gold book but is determined to do so as soon as Awana starts back up in the Fall!

At the end of the year, the church has Awana Awards where they give awards to the children for their hard work, discipline, learning and leadership. Each child, whether they were there for one time or every day will come away with some sort of award. This year my oldest recieved the most awards for her age bracket. She had so many awards, she didn't have enough hands to hold them all! We were very proud of her as she devoted many hours throughout the week to learning her Bible verses and filling out each of the required sections.

I took a lot of photos of the award ceremony but never really thought I would scrapbook them. Then one day I was looking through GeniaBeana Scraps store and realized she had the perfect kit to scrap those photos! I didn't even think about it, I picked up Verdant Splendor and knew it would be perfect for those photos!

I took that kit, looked through countless photos from the evening and ended up scrapping this layout of my daughter on stage and getting her awards from the year

**click here for credits**

We are very proud of her and hope she continues to do what is right, hiding Gods Word in her heart, learning about Him and becoming a better Christian with each and every day!

Until next time . . .

Crayola Factory

2011-06-15T12:16:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard of the Crayola Factory or been to the Crayola Factory?

When my husband enlisted in the service, my girls were having issues with their daddy's absence. My mom suggested that we do something fun with the girls to distract them from their sadness. My sister-in-law had just recently taken my nieces to the Crayola Factory and suggested that I try taking the girls since they were younger and might appreciate it. I called in advanced and found out that they gave a military discount so I decided to take the girls with the help of my mother.

When we got into the town we had expected to see signs pointing the way to the entrance of the factory. We drove around Easton for about 10 minutes, looking at our printed Mapquest directions, trying to figure out where we were going. We didn't see any signs, we didn't see any crayons, nothing! Finally I stopped to ask for directions when a nice lady told me I was there! I pulled into a parking garage, practically paid my life-savings for parking *ouch* and we walked out of the garage to see a small sign saying "Crayola" Do you know how many times we drove around that building and never once saw it!

We entered the building with snacks in hand to be told that no food was allowed in the building (seriously?!) Knowing that I was paying per hour for parking, we tossed the food and told the girls they could starve during the visit that was supposed to be three hours long from start to finish.

There were so many people inside the building I thought we were going to lose the girls! I was so thankful that my mom had come with me to keep an eye on one kid while I kept and eye on the other kid. How on earth had Kate with her 8 children (Jon and Kate, plus 8; pre-divorce) done this trip with her kids and all the other kids pushing and shoving?! I couldn't believe the behavior of the children and the parents allowing their children to push, shove other children out of the way, steal crayons or markers from other kids leaving them crying and without their things.

It was so chaotic that my mother and I started pushing the girls through each of the stations, annoyed at the noise, screaming, pushing, shoving that we just wanted to get out of each of the rooms! Towards the end of the visit, the children became less and less because we had left them behind at the other stations! The girls favorite place was a large color table that had different crayons in a handful of colors! We spent quite a reasonable amount of time color at these tables.

Dont get me wrong, there were fun things about the visit but a lot of the memory was clouded with the behavior of the naughty children. On our way home, the girls kept asking why their parents allowed them to behave that way. My youngest had a bruise on her arm when a boy, who was bigger than her, slugged her to take away her model magic that we had paid for when we entered the room! Overall, would I do it again . . . .no, never. But it was something that the girls will remember and talk about the good and the bad from that visit.

I've never scrapped those photos partially because I hated thinking about the behavior of the kids, the memory of my husband being gone and not really having a crayon-like kit to use on those photos. That is until this week when Dream Big Designs came out with a fabulous kit Artsy

I knew the kit would be perfect to scrap those photos, bright colors, messy paint, crayons....it screamed Crayola to me! I pulled out those photos, thought about the children's behavior, tried finding something that was positive from that visit to scrap because a lot of photos has some kid shoving one of my daughters out of the way, running in front of the photos, pushing me as I took the photo, putting their hands in front of the camera, I even have one little boy giving me the middle finger in the photo! So I had to find something enjoyable from the day in hopes that when the girls are much older all they remember are the good parts from that day!

Here is my layout and the best memory that I have from our visit

**click here for credits**

I think I've done well scrapping the fun things that we all enjoyed. I like the end result and am so thankful that Dream Big Designs came out with this new product! Check it out today!

Until next time . . .

I Speak Whale

2011-06-14T12:05:00.000-04:00

My girls love going to the Georgia Aquarium. They love looking for Nemo, Dori and all his fish friends! One of their favorite places in the aquarium is a large glass wall that looks in to the reef with the above waves splashing, feeding oxygen into the water for the fish and aquatic life to live. My youngest will stand at that wall, talking with the fish that swim by and loudly exclaiming when she sees Dori swim by the glass. The first time we were there the girls were sing "just keep swimming, just keep swimming" but this last time the youngest decided she could speak whale when Dori came swimming by the glass. It was too cute and I had to snap a few photos. What I didn't realize until I got home was that one of the photos, her reflection was on the glass and the photo turned out very beautiful with the poor lighting in the room. I knew I had to scrap it, but wasn't sure what kit to use, how to scrap so it got hidden in a file where I thought I'd never scrap until today!

Today I realized that Trixie Scraps came out with a new add on to her Fishy Friends collection at Funky Playground Designs. I knew I needed to pick it up and scrap it using the photo that I have been long desiring to scrap! I pulled out Trixie Scraps Fishy Friends kit,

made sure to mix it with her Fishy Friends Cardstock and her new Fishy Friends Element Clusters

Following the June 16, Funky Playground Designs Speed (Slow) Scrap Directions stretching the directions JUST a little bit I was able to come up with this layout of my daughter at the aquarium

**click here for credits**

Until next time . . .

Disney again?

2011-06-13T11:56:00.000-04:00

With our recent trip to Orlando I have to admit I have been itching to get the family back to Disney. We are planning a trip sometime in the new year but due to booking only going through the end of the year, it is hard to plan for the upcoming trip to Disney. Instead, I am forced to scrap about Disney to keep the desire and interest flowing!

Today I scrapped a layout of the girls at Chef Mickey's, which was a fabulous place to eat! I loved the food, loved the monorails coming and going above the dining facility. It was an amazing memory, something to continually scrap!

You know what makes it easy to scrap Disney? Trixie Scraps Mr. & Mrs. Mouse collection at Funky Playground Designs.

She has eight products that all build on one another from page starters, element clusters, wordart and so many more things! I love how you can pick to scrap JUST Mickey colors or JUST Minnie colors or if you want to scrap the two of them, you can mix-n-match! It is a happy medium and a kit that I have been using over and over again!

Here is my layout of the girls at Chef Mickey's

**click here for credits and journaling**

And you know what folks?! My layout was picked for ScrapMatters Gallery Standout Blog!

What an honor, but only something that couldn't have happened without Trixie Scraps beautiful products!

Until next time . . .

Road Trip!!

2011-06-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

That's right, in a few weeks we are going on a road trip with my parents! The girls are excited about seeing places that they've learned about in school or seen in the movies! The biggest place that we'll be seeing is Mount Rushmore! The oldest is excited about seeing Mount Rushmore because she did a three-week study about Mount Rushmore and knows quite a bit about the place! The youngest is a little reluctant about going but wants to see what it looks like in person instead of on tv like in National Treasure 2.

To get the family excited about the trip, I decided to scrap the Journal Challenge over at Funky Playground. In this challenge, we had to scrap at least 10 things we are going to do this Summer. I thought I'd make a check-list so that it would help me get things in order before leaving the house!

I needed to find something (a template) that would allow me to list things that needed to be done, yet include some photos. I am not one for photoless layouts unless it is something personal. While a checklist is personal, it wasn't quite the look that I wanted. I used Trixie Scraps Designs Line 'Em Up Vol. 1

Isn't that one template perfect for listing?! I was thrilled. But to find a travel kit would be difficult. Little did I know that Shanmomto4 and Luv Ewe Designs came out with a travel collab, Day Trippin' the same time I wanted to scrap about our trip!

It was perfect! It was almost as if they knew I was looking for a travel kit!

This is my finished layout about our upcoming trip

**click here for journaling and credits**

I am excited about our upcoming trip, but I do not envy the 25 hour drive back to PA where we'll spend the remainder of our vacation visiting with family members and friends!

Until next time . . .

Vacation Bible School

2011-06-10T11:12:00.001-04:00

We had a blast at Vacation Bible School this week! This year the theme for VBS was the Big Apple, aka New York. Being a military family who was stationed in New York we knew quite a lot about the state. On the first day of VBS during chapel time the leader asked how many of the one hundred children and sixty adults had been to New York? Of course my two girls raised their hands! It was when they looked around, they noticed that only two other children raised their hands and that none of the other children had been to New York! They were both shocked that not a lot of children had ever been to New York. We often forget that we live in the South, some 1200 miles from New York! So during their classtime their teachers and friends were quizzing both girls about the sites, sounds and what New York was like for them, how many times they had been to New York, etc. The kids were amazed at the stories the girls told them of their five feet of snow, Mama breaking her leg on ice and all the many stories of snow/ice that we've seen during our time up North! One of the teachers asked Madalyn, the oldest, if she had ever been to New York City. Madalyn, remembering our trip to NYC last July was excited to tell her all about her trip. She told about the train ride from New Jersey into New York where we took the Subway into downtown NYC. Her teacher stopped her asking if she had seen the Empire State Building, Lady Liberty (Statue of Liberty) or if she had ever see the Twin Towers before the terrorist destroyed them. Madalyn, so innocently said "no Ma'am, we went to American Girl and then over to the Lego Store which happened to be right near Rockerfeller's Center" The teacher was shocked that we had completely missed the history of NYC but visited the stores in the downtown area! I chalk it up to it is one of those things that you just take for granted when you live near something so close. I grew up in Pennsylvania, near the Philadelphia area. Had I ever climbed the steps that Rocky ran? Have I ever been to the Liberty Bell and the historic parts of Philadelphia? Sure, when I was a child, we took a field trip down there. But when we went to the city it was for shopping, airport and many other things that didn't include the tourist attractions! Such was the same for the girls when they've been in New York.

At the end of the week, both of the girls class sang a song that they had learned throughout the week. It was a fun time for the children to show their parents what they had learned about during the week at VBS! I am really glad that my girls were able to go to VBS this entire week and even more impressed with the things they have learned and crafted!

To scrap about the girls time in VBS, I used Amanda Carlson Designs A is for Apple

The apples were perfect because of the theme being the Big Apple!

I wanted to make sure that I was able to scrap as many photos as possible, without taking over the layout so I used Little Green Frog Designs All in a Week template pack

Using those two products I was able to scrap about the girls adventure this week

**click here for journaling and credits**

What a fun week it turned out to be! I am glad that we were able to take part in this fun-filled week at Vacation Bible School!!

Until next time . . . .

Adventures Away!

2011-06-09T11:35:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen the movie Up? I remember the day the we went to see the movie like it were yesterday! Let me tell you that I am not one for comics, cartoons or anything animated. I am not a fan of them. Usually when my girls are sick, that is what we do, sit on the sofa watching Barbie movies, Disney movies, Veggie Tales, the whole nine yards of cartoons. *gag* My family convinced me that Up would be different so I reluctantly went along. During those first few minutes of the movie Up, I tried holding back as many tears as possible. I couldn't believe how sad the movie was in the beginning. In the end I really enjoyed the movie and am glad that my family convinced me to go along with them tot he theater!

Today I scrapped a layout about the characters in Up using Haynay Designs Adventures Away, which by the way is a perfect kit to scrap anything Up related!

I love how her kit can be used for camping, the character encounters and many other things!

Here is how I used her kit

**click here for credits**

Well enough gabbing today, I have things that need to be done offline!

Until next time . . .

One Fine Day

2011-06-08T11:06:00.001-04:00

It is that time of the month again when the Funky Playground designers have gotten together to create a beautiful kit, One Fine Day

This collab kit is filled to the brim with a mega kit, templates and quickpages!

Hurry, you'll want to add this one to your stash. I know I had a blast scrapping with the kit and love my finished layout of my girls being silly!

**click here for journaling and credits**

Check out June's Funky Playground Design collab as well as all the other months that you might have missed.

Until next time . . .

Anti-Alias

2011-06-07T13:45:00.003-04:00

What kind of term is Anti-Alias and what does it do for me?

Anti-Alias is simply a method of fooling the eye that a jagged edge is really smooth.

So why can't I make a smooth edge on my computer? Because computer images are made up of tiny square pixels. When you want to make a straight line, you'll be able to have a straight line of pixels stacked up one another. However when you have an angle or a curve, the pixels can't bend as they need to fill in that block, thus seeing the steps of the rounded edge.

That is where anti-alias comes in handy.

The clever system that anti-aliasing uses to fool your eyes into thinking that a line is not jagged is to use subtle changes in color around the curved or diagonal area. These slight changes in color make the image blend around curves and giving the impression that the line in true. The colou changes are on such a small scale that you eyes cannot detect them under normal circumstances

**taken from Panther Products website**

Make sure when you use the marque tool (the cutter tool) in Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro you always have the anti-alias option checked. Back when I first started designing no matter how many times I tried to make a smooth circle I couldnt and didn't understand why. Then one day, not too many days later, I realized I had unchecked that box. Boy did that make a difference.

So how can you see if your anti-alias is check-marked.

Open your program and click on the marque tool.

From there, look to the top of the screen and you'll see the following in Photoshop CS4
(hopefully the same for the other versions)

Or the following in Paint Shop Pro X2

(hopefully in the other versions as well)

To see what I am talking about, here is an example in Photoshop CS4 with the anti-alias unchecked:

Are the edges (pixels) are more noticeable to the naked eye?

Notice how the edge is jagged--you can see the steps of the circle!

Now take a look at this circle with the anti-alias checked

Doesn't that look like a smooth, round circle the way our eye is used to seeing an image?

That is the difference between on checked or unchecked button.

Make sure when you are using shapes Anti-Alias is ALWAYS checked!

Learn Your Program

2011-06-06T13:56:00.002-04:00

After learning about copyright the next thing you should do is learn as much as you can about your program; know what it does, what it is capable of doing, how to do those things, etc. Designing is not purchasing the best Commercial Use products available and recoloring with each and every kit. Designing is an art of creativity. For most it is starting with the basic shapes and creating from there on up, adding shadowing, textures, etc.

Take for example this construction barricade.

What shapes do you see when looking at this element?

It is basically created from squares and rectangles.

When I was changing my blog around, I sat down at the computer and imagined what a barricade looked like and started creating my template. I started at the focal point, creating shapes to look like what I was envisioning in my head. Once I created the template it was just a matter of filling in the colors, adding bevel around the edges as well as adding texture to the sign.

There are a handful of designers who do the exact same thing when it comes to creating templates. Look in any online digital store, under Commercial Use, and you'll see countless templates filled with shapes in all different sizes and characters. These designers look at something and recreate it with shapes or they are artistic and draw the element they are wishing to create. That my friend can be you if you learn and understand what your program is capable of doing!

Where do you start?

Well if you are reading my blog, I guess this is a good start. But generally when I started learning how to design and about my program I relied on Google for the answers. There were nights while my husband was deployed that I would be searching "Photoshop CS + Ribbon Tutorial". I would walk myself through several tutorials on that element, learning how to do it without looking at any guides, notes or tutorials.

Another thing you can do it enroll yourself in some classes where it be online or in your local university. There are a handful of online sites that offer classes with different programs. The perk of it being online is that hopefully you are able to work around your schedule, work, naptime, etc.

When in doubt if you dont know, understand, have questions ask a fellow friend who uses the program. I had been designing for several years and one day Melissa Daniel Designs said "hey you know if you do this . . . . " and a lightbulb went on in my head understanding what she had told me! I had no idea that I could do that with my program, let alone the possibilities she had opened up by telling me a simple suggestion!

Learn your program before jumping in to designing. It makes it that much easier when the harder stuff comes knocking at your door.

Understanding Copyright

2011-06-05T15:25:00.011-04:00

To some copyright can be a scary thing when the legal department is knocking on their door demanding payment of some sorts due to a violation To others it just is a legal, mumbo-jumbo word that doesn’t mean anything to them.

So what exactly is copyright?

Copyright is a form of protection to the authors or creators of original creations. Copyright protects both published and unpublished creations. A copyright gives the owner of the creation exclusive rights to (1) reproduce their work, (2) create creations that derived from their original creations, (3) distribute copies of their work by sale, rent, transfer, lease or lending, (4) perform publically if applicable (5) display work publically if applicable.
It is illegal for anyone who does not own the copyright of that creation to violate any of those clauses

It is important for you to learn and understand what copyright allows and doesn't allow before creating a digital product or project. That's right folks, even with our scrapbooking, we need to be diligent in making sure we are not violating copyright laws when we put together our layouts!

Now when you are creating an element, you have to be careful not to steal someone’s creation that is protected under copyright laws. Take for example Prima’s flowers; they are protected under copyright laws. If you go to your local Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s, etc and pick up one of these flower packs you’ll notice a little note saying “copyright” on the package. That means, you cannot purchase one of these flowers, scan them in to your computer, extract them image and use them in your product. That is violating Prima’s copyright and you will get some sort of a punishment should Prima catch up with you and your designs. Before you think about being sneaky and doing this be warned that Prima has caught up with a couple digital designers a few years ago who were using Prima's flowers in their own products as well as selling them for Commercial Use!

That is just one little example of copyright for one little element, which if abused can cause a whole lot of trouble for you as the designer who violated that company's copyright of said product.

It is very important for you as the designer to know the laws, know what is protected and what you can/cannot legally use in your digital creations. You cannot go into your local Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's, etc and purchase $100 dollars worth of scrapbooking products, photogragh or scan the products in to the computer, extract the image and use it in your creations, let alone turn it in to a Commercial Use product if those things are protected by copyright laws! It is plain and simple.

Scrapbook paper is another thing that is copyrighted. Just think, digital designers are asked to create paper lines that sell in stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc. If you scanned in that paper and use it for your own creations, it would be no different than you downloading their digital product and reusing it as your own. Its wrong and something that needs to be avoided to save you the headache and hassle of finding a lawyer and dealing with your consequences.

In a nutshell, learn and understand copyright laws and how they can protect you as well as keep you out of trouble when learning how to design. If you don't know if the product is under copyright seek legal advice from a lawyer who specifically deals with this issue.

Designing Tutorials

2011-06-04T13:10:00.000-04:00

Alright since I have nothing better to do . . . . .if you believe that one then let me sell you the Brooklyn Bridge for half-off the original price!

Lately I've been noticing several posts around digiworld asking beginner questions about designing. Just recently I saw a post over at MouseScrappers and decided to answer it with a few things that I've learned along the way. Later, as I was talking with my best friend, AussieGirl, it was suggested that instead of posting here and there things that I've learned why not post them on my blog so that people can come to the blog, read things they are looking for in one central location instead of this site or that site. So hopefully as time goes on I'll be able to share with you lessons along the way in case you are one of those people wishing to learn how to design.

Sound interesting for you?

Is it something you wish to see?

What are your thoughts because I would love to hear them.

I'll post a couple things and if there isn't any interest in the tutorials, then I'll not continue. If there people interested, I'll continue sharing what I know. Got any questions about designing? Feel free to email me and I'll try to answer them, if I know the answer that is! LOL

Last of the FPD layouts

2011-06-03T16:53:00.001-04:00

I believe after this blog post I will be all caught up on my Funky Playground Designs layouts that I created the last week I was guesting there. Can you believe I maxxed out my gallery upload at DST and MSA? I dont think that has ever happened there before! It was insane. But in the end I got over 30 layouts scrapped last month and that to me is well worth it! I'll be ready the next time Winkflash has their flat-rate book sale! Bring it on Winkflash!!

I've never heard of Simase Studio before last month. Last month I was really worried about working with her stuff, if I could scrap her beautiful style with my classic blocking style. Then right before the month was over I downloaded her Peacock Dreams kit and fell in love with her style. I think its safe to compare her style to Natalie Designs over at Scrapbook Graphics or even By Becca over at 9th and Bloom. I have a feeling that I will be buying more of her products because as I've been growing as a scrapper I find that I like scrapping occasionally with this style of designer!

So to make sure I enjoyed working with Siamese Studio I checked out another product of hers called Funky Club - Volume 3 - Week 4 (White Sand)

I have so many beach photos it is crazy that I've not scrapped nearly 1/2 of them! I figured I'd scrap our latest adventure to Panama City Beach back in March for the Marriage Retreat

**click here for credits**

I know that I will be using this kit more this Summer as we have plans of taking the girls to Ocean City sometime during the next month on our visit to see my family!

Speaking of Marriage Retreat, you know we went to Orlando for the past Marriage Retreat back in May? With my husband being the Chaplain's Assistant he was asked to go down the day before to make sure the hotel arrangements were made, meals were ready and that there weren't really any problems. Being as I homeschool the girls, getting the out of school was the easy part but the seven hour drive was just plain terrible; we got there though.

Because we were in classes for a good majority of the day going to Disney was out of the question seeing as they didn't offer discount tickets for half day. We were all a little bummed but discovered we could get half-day tickets to Universal Studios. After thinking about it we decided going to Universal Studios for a half day would work for us since all we really had a desire to see was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. So one afternoon during the Marriage Retreat we headed to Universal Studios in the middle of a rain storm that lasted most of the afternoon/evening.

Getting our youngest on rides was horrible because she was on the shorter side however the Spiderman ride she was tall enough to ride. Due to the rain, no one was really at this ride allowing us to ride it three times in a row within the hour. It was great and probably one of my youngest daughter's favorite ride.

I knew I needed to scrap the other features of Universal Studios before scrapping Wizarding World of Harry Potter, so you will not be seeing any of those layouts until I've scrapped the other parts of Universal Studios. To start off the album I used Girl Boy Girl Designs Super Me and Super Me {Heroes}

I also discovered a new template designer that I adore! You all know I enjoy making templates. I even sold them and they were perhaps my number one seller! I loved making them but since I retired I was struggling to find a template designer that I loved every template and could see myself using, that is until I was able to work with Little Green Frog Designs! I love all her templates because you have room for photos and journaling without it looking too cluttered. Sometimes a template designer puts too much stuff (elements) on the page that when you are working with it, you have to remove their x's for elements and insert your own element often making it harder and more tedious to work with the template. That isn't the case with Little Green Frog Designs. She includes the clustered look without overdoing it. So far there hasn't been a template set that I found difficult to use!

(think she'll bring me on her ct with that little shout-out?!)

To scrap my photos of my family on the Spiderman Ride I used Little Green Frog Designs Caught in the Middle Template Set

See, its clustered but not overly busy!

I used that template mixed with Super Me to create this fabulous layout

**click here for credits**

Fast Forward to Funky Playground and their monthly designer collab (I sound like Willy Wonka, dont I?!) Every month the designers at Funky Playground get together and create a mega kit. Then the fabulous scrappers get together, creating layouts and quickpages. When the calendar changes, the new kit/collection is in the store.

This month Funky Playground Designs has a cute kit called One Fine Day

and I was able to scrap with it!

I used the template in the collection with the kit and scrapped my daughters being silly a couple weeks ago

**click here for journaling and credits**

I think that's it for Funky Playground Designs. I think those finish up my layouts that I've scrapped during my guest spot. Now to get back to my other designers and work on my CT duties, you know enabling and scrapping!

Until next time . . .

Last one for the day

2011-06-01T00:57:00.000-04:00

Well these last two layouts should finish up my May Guest Spot at Funky Playground. I can't believe my month is over but I also can't believe I've scrapped 30 layouts this month! My goal when January 1 came rolling around was to scrap 50 layouts throughout the course of the year. I had no idea that I'd scrap a good majority of my goal during ONE month! Maybe next year I'll raise the bar a little and make my goal 100 layouts since I know I can meet the 50 layout goal!

Anyways over the weekend my daughter and husband were playing the new Lego Pirates of the Caribbean video game on the XBox360. They were so engrossed in to the game that they didn't realize I was in there cleaning up the room. When I realized they weren't paying attention to my being in the room I decided to take some photos of them to hopefully scrap one day. Little did I know that I'd be scrapping them so soon!

I knew when I saw Amanda Carlson Designs g4m3r

that I had taken the best photos to scrap using the kit! So I mixed that kit with Jen C Designs Cluster Funk v.2

And scrapped this layout of my husband and daughter playing their game, not even aware I was in the room:

*click here for credits*

I think that turned out super cute. So this whole month I have been trying to scrap a little bit of each child on their own layout as well as each child with one another. I've also tried to make sure to do a little bit of the other odds and end things that I normally dont think to scrap. Overall for the month I think I've done fairly well. Today as I was going through my folders I realized one daughter had more layouts than the other child so I decided to scrap about her dressing up for her masquarade ball back in October.

After looking through the store, I tried out a new to me designer Siames Studio using her Peacock Dreams kit

I loved the kit, love the peacock feathers and knew it would be a perfect combination with my daughter's mask, thus this layout was scrapped

**click here for journaling and credits**

I think this layout is a great end to my month of being a guest at Funky Playground. I hope one day they'll have me back as I truly have appreciated my time working their fabulous and very talented designers!

Geocaching

2011-05-31T13:38:00.002-04:00

What? What is Geocaching? Do I need to clean my cookies? What are you talking about?! It is the newest craze here in our area and our military base has been having weekends set aside where families can explore the military base using GPS coordinates and clues. It is a fun adventure, something every family should look into doing at some point of their life!

To scrapbook about Geochaching I used Misty O'Brien Geocache-tastic mixed with Jen C Designs Stackables templates

Using those products, scrapped this layout:

**click here for credits**

Well, until next time . . .. or at least in a little while.

Another good week of scrapping

2011-05-31T08:47:00.000-04:00

Can you believe its Tuesday? I have a ton of layouts to show you but it might be an all day thing as I am still finishing up my scrapping. Today I am finishing up my last day as a guest CT at Funky Playground Designs and I want to get in as much as I can to show you all the goodness that I've encountered this month! I have scrapped with many new names and have created many favorite layouts with those fabulous designers!

First off I'd like to show you my Disney layout using Trixie Scraps Greatest Hits v.5 template pack as well as her Fishy Friends kit

Isn't that a cute kit?! I loved it and knew I had to scrap Nemo!

**click here for credits**

Then I discovered this cute template set by Amanda Carlson, To the Right

And knew I needed to scrap with it using a collab kit with Girl Boy Girl Designs and Studio Flergs, Rain Rain Go Away

I knew I had plenty of rainy photos that needed to be scrapped so I settled on this photo to scrap

**click here for credits**

Well that is all I have for now. I have to get back to scrapping up the last of my few kits that I've been wanting to use and try out. I'll be back later in the day to show you what I've done with them.

Until next time . . . .

Monday already?

2011-05-30T08:15:00.002-04:00

Can you believe it is Monday already? Where did the weekend go? This weekend we had so much fun as Toby Keith came to our military base, finishing up his 9th USO Tour. It was a great show, but boy it was super hot and humid waiting for him to take stage.

To scrap my layouts about Toby Keith I used Trixie Scraps Seeing Double v.5 template set mixing with River~Rose Start a Band and Start a Band Clusters

And I was able to use all that for my own two page spread about Toby Keith

*click here & here for journaling and credits**

It was a great day honoring all those Veterans who served and those who continue to serve for our freedom! Thank you Toby Keith for coming to our military base and thank you soldier for your service to our country! May God bless each one of you

Until next time

More layouts?

2011-05-28T13:09:00.000-04:00

For real?! I cannot believe that this month I've scrapped over 20 layouts. It just blows my mind away because in April and the early part of May I scrapped a total of two or three layouts. It is crazy how the move messed with my mojo and now it is coming back to me. When I first got back to scrapping earlier this month my layouts were taking me almost an entire day to scrap. I'd get up in the morning, turn on my program, look through the kit that I wanted to use and see what inspired me. Then throughout the day I'd place the papers, elements and photos finishing up my layout late in the evening. Now, just today I scrapped a layout in less than an hour and I love it. Sometimes I shock myself with how things come together and how things don't flow when the mojo isn't there. I am glad that the mojo is back and I'll talk it until our vacation to Mackinac Island the end of June.

This blog post will be all about Funky Playground Designers as my guest creative team member is coming to a close. This week I was able to work with designers that I don't recall ever scrapping or have only heard of through my guest spot here at Funky Playground Designs.

First off I scrapped with a collab kit from Ruby Lane and River~Rose, Simply Blessed with Ruby Lane's Everyday Matters P52/365 Templates

And I scrapped a couple photos of my girls standing in front of a large, moss covered magnolia tree earlier this year. In my personal layout, the bottom of the layout includes a lot of journaling about where the girls were, what they were doing, etc. However online the journaling was left out

**click here for credits**

For my second layout I used Shanmomto4 Little Chef kit mixed with Little Green Frog Designs Cut it Out Templates

Using those products I scrapped the Taste of Home show from back in October. The girls loved watching the chef show different techniques, taking in all the smells of his cooking. In the end, the chef asked for a photo with the girls and the girls felt so special! It was a good time, one I hope to do again with them this coming October

*click here for credits*

Lastly, my sister-in-law sent us her Senior photos and a graduation announcement. Generally this time of the year, I always pass up the graduation kits but after getting her things in the mail I knew I needed to scrap her photos because over time they will get lost.

To scrap her photos I was able to work with for the first time, Michelle Batton Designs, who is an amazing designer! She did a collab with Fiddle-Dee-Dee called The End is the Beginning

These two designers are marvelous together and I hope to see them doing more template/kit collabs like this in the future!

Back to my layout, using three of my sister-in-law's six photos I scrapped this layout

**click here for credits**

I believe that is all my layouts in my gallery up until this blog post!

I know there will be more coming this weekend because all of my designers continue to produce awesome products that I have to scrap and show my readers!

Until next time . . .

Scrapping Goodness

2011-05-26T12:20:00.000-04:00

Its that time of the week when I come to show you some of the scrapping goodness that has been created with my creative teams. I am really enjoying being on these creative teams as they allow me to express my thoughts, emotions and memories so easy and readily. Am very thankful to be part of each of my designer's creative teams!

This week I was able to work with Dream Big Designs newest creation, Harbor Bay and SOS Harbor Bay Add-on which was released last Friday

Aren't they beautiful kits?

I love how creative Dream Big Designs is with her kits. I love the textures of her papers and especially her hand-crafted elements!

Using her kit, I created this layout of my youngest feeding stingrays at the aquarium earlier this year

**click here for journaling and credits**

Also just released from Mye De Leon is a beautiful kit, Morning Hush

I love the softness of this kit. When I saw it I thought of serenity, someplace that I would find peace and comfort. Then it hit me, I needed to scrap those photos of the girls at the ocean

I love how I was able to use my Pixie Plate that AussieGirl asked me to create for her to show off all the fun things the girls did on the beach that day. Brings back wonderful, warm memories.

Until next time . . .

Stack Exchange

2011-05-25T08:04:00.000-04:00

Okay I know you all have heard what a quickpage exchange is, but this is a little different. ScrapMatters is hosting a Stack Exchange where you create a clustered element, stacked paper or something that requires putting a bunch of elements or papers together to create a layered look.

This month they are using Plum Dumpling Designs I Scream kit, which is currently on sale for the remainder of the month

Isn't it a cute kit? I love her doodles of the ice cream goodies!

Anyways I took this kit and created this stacked element cluster

Which you can get along with all the other fabulous stacked clusters in this gallery.

How?

It is easy. All you have to do it buy the kit if you dont have it already. Create a stacked cluster like the one above or these, which are just a few of what is in that gallery

Once you have created your stacked cluster, place it on the provided preview image, upload to the correct gallery and link back in the original forum what you've created. Then at the end of the month, the hostess will send out links to all the clusters.

It is seriously THAT easy!

With those clusters you will be able to create beautiful layouts such as this one

**click here for journaling and credits**

Its that easy!

I hope to see your stack real soon as this month's Stack Exchange expires the end of the month!

Until next time . . .

Lots of goodies!

2011-05-24T21:41:00.001-04:00

That's right I've been a scrapping nut this week. I dont know what happened to me but when I woke up I felt the bug to scrap! All week last week during MouseScrappers birthday bash I tried and tried to scrap, but nothing Disney was being produced--I just wasn't feeling it. And then, after all the festivities, like a rainstorm my scrapping mojo hits! Go figure!

Sadly my month of guest creative team member over at Funky Playground Designs is coming to an end. I am very saddened to see the days quickly go by as I dont really want it to be over but know time must move forward. To make sure I've been giving them a lot of my scrapping and enabling devotion.

Just this past week I picked up, from a newer designer to me, Valarie Ostrom Designs Strawberries & Cream Templates and Monkey See

I saw this kit in the store and knew my daughter had a pajama set from Gymboree that matched this kit perfectly! So I went through some older photos, found photos of my daughter acting nutty in the pajama's and scrapped it!

**click here for credits**

Then while searching the store, trying to find some products to enable, I came across another product that looked like a clothing line from Gymboree that my oldest daughter wore this Winter! I had to pick up Sherrie Tierney's Dixie kit

and using that kit I created this layout of my daughter from this past Winter

**click here for credits**

Lastly this week I grabbed Trixie Scraps Designs Mr & Mrs Mouse as well as her Mr & Mrs Mouse Wordart, mixing it with a newer template designer, Little Green Frog Design's Caught in the Middle Templates to create a layout of my daughter trading her first pin at Downtown Disney a couple weekends ago.

And here is my layout....isn't it cute?! I love it

**click here for journaling and credits**

Well my time has come to an end. I am currently baking cookies for my lunch guests tomorrow as well as trying to scrap one more layout before bedtime comes knocking on my door.

Until next time . . .

Its official

2011-05-21T15:27:00.004-04:00

I may not be selling in a store any more but from time to time I have been known to make creations here and there. Just today my best friend and I were talking about a layout she was scrapping for a MouseScrappers Speed Scrap. I offered to make her a template so that she could fit all nine of her photos on to the page without having to change her photos for something different. Next thing you know, Pixie Plate #210 was given life with Aussiegirl as the only recipient.

Which she used and created this layout:

**click here for credits**

Isn't it cute? I'm glad she asked me to make that template--probably one of my favorites thus far!

Since I've retired from designing I knew I needed to find a place where I could still sell those products that people continue to email, asking where they can find, as well as a place to put the newer creations. I started a blog back in November, to which no one really knew about except Melissa Daniel Designs. I asked her permission to keep our Disney inspired collabs up for sale since those were the most requested products. She said, "yes" and for the past couple of months I've been trying to figure out a way to sell those products from my blog.

At first I tried Paypal. While it is a good site, it only takes money and doesn't send links. So I had to link up to a page saying "links would be sent within 24 hours of that purchase" But what if I wasn't at my computer? What if we were on another marriage retreat? What if I was on my month-long vacation to my family in Pennsylvania? Who would get the links out to those purchases?

Many months went by while I tried finding out a site that would not only take payments but also send out links for a small fee. Most of the time this idea went to the back burner as I wasn't really spending that much time designing.

However a couple weeks ago I discovered a site and have been researching it, trying to find out what I could about them. Then last week, I made the plunge, created an account and tried uploading my first product. Boy it was so frustrating because I kept getting error after error, after error. I wanted to pull my hair out it was so frustrating. Then today, oh yes today, thank you Dawn, I was able to upload the pixie plate with no problems. It hit me, I was uploading too many megabytes for our lousy internet which is why it kept crashing. It wasn't until after I broke down my links to less than 20 megabytes that I was able to get the links working!

So without further ado, I give to you

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks you will find some of the older products, that people keep emailing about, in the store as well as the occassional new products.

I hope you can rejoice with my continued retirement but rejoice in the new-found way of sharing those older products as well as newly created products that come along the way.

Until next time . . .

It's Mye Day

2011-05-18T13:30:00.002-04:00

It's Mye Day, Designer Mye De Leon that is!

This month I've have the privilege of guesting for her this month. Let me tell you that when I first saw Mye's products I immediately fell in love with her designs. My very first kit that I bought of hers was Splendor

She was having a contest that said I had to use her product. I saw this kit, immediately thought of Disney and had to it in hopes that I'd get the prize from her contest. So I scrapped this layout of our rental car when we went to Disney

*please click here for journaling and credits*

This was one super easy kit to scrap. I must admit, since then I've been hooked on Mye's products!

When my birthday rolled around, my best friend messaged Mye and asked if she had any openings on her creative team (isn't my best friend awesome?!) Mye said that her team was quite full but she'd consider me for a guest spot. It was then that Mye messaged me, asking me to guest with her for a month! I was thrilled and picked May hoping life would be settled and I could devote all my scrapping time to her and her products!

What a great month May has been. I've had my ups and downs, getting back into the swing of things: Playing catch-up with being gone all last month as well as trying to let my designers know that I am alive and still scrapping for them! On top of all that, trying to prove to Mye how much I love scrapping with her stuff. I had a slow beginning but this week has been very productive and I am super pleased with my layouts! But come on, when you are scrapping with a designer like Mye, your layouts are always going to look stellar!

This week I picked up May 2011 Grab Bag

If you want to know what is inside, there is a full reveal in the store's additional previews.

Anyway I took her grab bag and scrapped this layout of the girls at Downtown Disney

**click here for credits**

Then if you head on over to Gotta Pixel, I picked up Stack It v.1 as well as The Little Things Elements and Paper Pack which are all currently $1.00.

Isn't that a super steal?! All those things for just a dollar each?

Using those items I scrapped another cute layout of my girls at Downtown Disney:

**please click here for journaling and credits**

Well I guess I chatted your ear off for the day. Time to get back to work because I still have lots of photos that need scrapping!

Until next time . . . .

More scrapping goodness

2011-05-11T21:38:00.000-04:00

I figured I better show you what I've scrapped today since we are going out of town tomorrow for a marriage retreat. Guess where we are going?! I am so excited and we've yet to tell the girls. For this quarter's marriage retreat we'll be in Orlando, FL just minutes away from Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World and all that fabulous excitement that goes along when you say "Orlando"

We figured tomorrow on our 7 hour drive that we would tell the girls we were going to Orlando. If all goes smoothly, we check in at noon, we should be going to Universal Studios for the afternoon/evening. We all really want to see Wizarding World of Harry Potter and we know we probably wont get around to doing when we go back to Disney for our family vacation next year.

What have I been doing today? My lovely neighbor asked me to babysit her one and half year old daughter so she could go to the doctors and get some relief from her cold that she's been suffering this past month. I had every intention of finishing up our packing and cleaning the house. But you know me, I love my neighbor's daughter and jumped at the chance of babysitting her! The girls had such a blast having a toddler in the house and it was very nice not having to stress about making sure everything is finished before we leave tomorrow morning.

On top of that I knew I needed to do a couple more layouts to get back in to the swing of things since I missed out on so much last month with the move and all. So today I got a few layouts scrapped and uploaded in between babysitting, laundry, packing and cleaning....oh yeah, I even sewed two dresses today! One for my children and one for the neighbor's baby! Craziness, I know!

One of my favorite grab bags that I got was a collab grab bag with Haynay Designs and WM[Squared] Designs

I loved the coloring, loved how soft the colors looked and knew I had to scrap not one but these two layouts using all the products included!

**please click here for credits**

Another great grab bag that I got was Plum Dumpling Designs 2011 iNSD Grab Bag

When I saw this grab bag, I immediately thought of Animal Kingdom and knew I needed to pick this up and scrap this layout about Animal Kingdom:

**please click here for credits and journaling**

So with lots of layouts being scrapped, suitcases being packed, laundry spinning the washer I best start attending to them or we will not ready first thing in the morning.

When we get back from Orlando, Im sure we'll have photos or stories to share as well as many new layouts!

Until next time . . .

I've scrapped!

2011-05-10T09:30:00.001-04:00

Everyone keeps asking "What did you get for {i}NSD weekend?" If you want me to be honest, I got a lot of goodies. The next thing people ask is, "Did you scrap with your goodies?" To most, who hoard digital goodies like myself, the answer is usually "no". However this week I've been very good scrapping with my goodies! See for yourself!

Over at Funky Playground Designs I picked up Trixie Scraps Designs Summer Lovin' iNSD Grab Bag

Using that grab bag, I scrapped this layout:

**click here to see credits and journaling**

Also, over at Funky Playground Designs I picked up from a new to me designer, River~Rose Tropical Wind PU Grab Bag

And then using her products, which do include templates, I scrapped this layout of my children at Panama City Beach back in March

**please click here to see credits and journaling**

I also got Mye De Leon and Studio Vivarant collab kit/bundle, In the Stillness

Which let me tell you is filled to the brim with lots of goodies that you will find yourself using over and over again. These two designers did a fabulous job collaborating this product!

Anyways, using this product, I scrapped this layout of my girls visiting the Doll of the Year, Kanani, at American Girl this past month

**please click here to see credits**

Last but not least I saw in the ScrapMatters forum that I could enter to win a guest creative team spot on Jady Day Studios as well as a chance to win some spending money to her store. Since I love Yari's products, I knew I had to enter with this fabulous layout of my daughter's birthday

**please click here for credits and journaling**

That is just a small amount of the goodies that I got over the weekend. Maybe as I scrap through them, I'll post them on here, linking you up to those yummy goodness!

Keep checking back!

Until next time . . .

Happy iNSD Weekend!

2011-05-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Lots of sales happening this weekend.
What are you getting?
What sales have you seen that are stellar, spectacular?

I had planned on writing a lot today about sales, fabulous products that I've have the privilege to scrap and many other things. But I just don't feel like it today. There are lots of things going on and I need to make this short and sweet. In fact, so short and sweet that I am not going to tell how this freebie came about but just share with you a little mini that was inspired by a great movie that my children saw many months ago.

And the full mini preview:

I know in a few months when things settle down I'll be scrapping about our visit to the dollar theater and seeing this cute movie. My children are always saying lines from this movie and I know it needs to get scrapped before it is forgotten!

You can pick Just Despicable here for a limited time

Make sure you tell me about your deals you are finding so I can go check them out as well.

Also, I always love reading those comments about these freebies.

Until next time . . .

All moved in

2011-05-03T18:30:00.003-04:00

What a month April has become!

I am so thankful that April has come and gone. I've never been so busy in such a long, long time! I was supposed to be guesting for Funky Playground Designs, but little did I know how little time I'd have to devote to my guest spot, let alone any of my designers!

After a busy and hectic month we are officially "moved in". We've been moved in for a bit, but my parents came down for a visit. I was so thankful that they came down because with the new house came new responsibilities that I didn't care for such as maintaining a garden! If you know me, I am anything but a green thumb! I joke that I have black thumbs because I've always killed everything that crossed my path. Imagine my shock when I found out we had to keep alive ten shrubs that when we moved in, were partially dead! And guess what?! I am allergic to pine needles, mulch and all that goodness that keeps the weeds from coming back week after week. My awesome parents, children and husband weeded the garden, laid down some black weed protector and 11 bags of mulch in hopes that in the little over a year we (when I say "we" I mean "I") don't have to weed the garden again! It was such a busy day working in the garden in 90 degree, humid weather. My poor parents left PA with temps in the 40-50's only to come work down South in the hot and humid weather.

Of course that isn't all we had done while my parents were visiting. We ended up taking the two-hour drive in to Atlanta to American Girl so that I could exchange my daughter's Josephina doll that I had originally purchased a couple months ago for the Doll of the Year, Kanani. My children had so much fun at American Girl adding to their ever-growing wish list!

Well now that April has come and gone hopefully May settles down a bit and I can get back into the swing of things. Would you like to see my house and what we have completely finished so far?

This if my favorite "room" of the house--my front porch which is almost three or four times the size of the old house. I love this area and love that there is shade on the porch at all times of the day giving some relief to my children from the sun.

Don't those shrubs look so good?! I love the awesome job that my parents, children and husband have done! I am so thankful they did that task as I was really dreading all the itching that would have happened if I got down in the garden.

This is my children's favorite part of the house--the large kitchen that we did not have in the old house!

The only thing I do not care for is the computer in the kitchen. I don't like that everyone sees it. It also makes it hard for me to want to get on the computer since the lighting over there is very poor. My chair, is also too short for the cabinet/counter which comes above my chest. But for the time that we are here, it will work, even if I do lose a lot of desk space than in the old house.

Another thing that grew when we moved to this new house is our living room and dining room. Everything is now wider giving us much more space, especially when the kids and my husband are playing the Kinect

Love those photos hanging?! My dad did that for me. Usually I just hammer a nail in the wall and am done with it. My father on the other hand is more like Adrian Monk from the Monk show on USA. I thought it would take my dad about an hour to hang all my photos. Little did I know that those six photos would take almost two hours. But in the end, wow they are beautiful! I love looking at them when walking into that room!

Another thing that I really love is our hallway. I know, its just a hallway, but at the end of the hallway is very pretty--at least in my mind

I love that photo series that was taken a couple years back of my children. When we knew we were going to move in to a newly remodeled home I started collecting those wall stickers. I was able to get them at Hobby Lobby, Kohls and even the dollar store!

Those are just a few rooms. I would take photos of the girls rooms but they were in them playing and you know I never like sharing photos of them online. Maybe tomorrow when they are doing school, I'll take photos of their finished rooms so you can see how they are decorated and unpacked.

Our room on the other hand is where all the mess remains. You see for my birthday and my husband's birthday, which is just the day after mine, we decided to get a headboard for our bed. I mean come on, we've been married over thirteen years and never had a real headboard. I've been going to furniture stores all over town and on post looking for something but hadn't really found anything until a couple months ago. I found a beautiful bedroom set at our Aafes Furniture Store; just ignore the list price in the link because that IS NOT what we are paying or even close to what we are paying. Anyways I showed my husband the bed with the drawers underneath and he fell in love with it but said to wait until my parents came and could help us move the bed into the house. Time came and went, when we went back to the furniture store, we were told the bedroom set was no longer in the store. It has been a couple weeks and I am still waiting for my birthday present. Maybe one of these days we'll get the call telling us that the bed is back in stock. During that time though, my husband has said since we've never had new dressers we could get the dressers that matched the bed. I am stoked. We've NEVER made a purchase like this before, but after thirteen years of marriage, I think we are finally going to have a bedroom set and not hand-me-downs from family, garage sales, etc! Because we are going to be getting the dressers, we have emptied my clothing out from my parents dresser that we were borrowing all these years and sent it home with them when they left earlier this weekend. All my clothing is now in two laundry baskets, a box and an organizer until our bedroom set becomes available in a couple more weeks. So no one will be seeing our room until the furniture comes in stock, we organize the room and get photos on the wall. Until then, only our family will know what the Master Bedroom looks like!

Alrighty, I best be closing. I have lots of catching up to do. But I wanted to give you a heads up on my whereabouts. Also, if you check back on my blog this coming weekend, you WILL find a mini freebie from me that might please you!

Until next time . . .

Butterfly Kisses

2011-04-07T10:15:00.000-04:00

Oh with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve a hug every mornin'
And butterfly kisses at night

Did you see this beautiful collab kit from the Funky Playground Designers?

I love this kit and had to make a layout of my daughter playing in the grass and wishing flowers.

The neat thing is that my layout was turned into a quickpage which you can purchase, along with many other people's quickpages here at Funky Playground!

There's two things I know for sure
She was sent here from heaven
And she's daddy's little girl
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night
She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes
And I thank God for all of the joy in my life
Oh but most of all

For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
Walk beside the pony daddy it's my first ride
I know the cake looks funny daddy but I sure tried

Oh with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve a hug every mornin'
And butterfly kisses at night

I'm going dark

2011-04-06T14:49:00.003-04:00

Wow a lot has happened since my last blog post.

Seems that one little phone call can change your world into a whirlwind of chaos and excitment.

What am I talking about?

Well we got a phone call from our housing management asking if we were interested in moving from our current house earlier than the mid-May expected date. Of course we said, "yes" thinking they would move the date up to the the beginning of May. Boy were we wrong as we were told we would be moving April 8th instead. However yesterday things changed and the moving date has been post-poned to getting our keys on Monday afternoon (April 11th) which we are okay with as it gives us a couple more days of packing, cleaning and figuring out how we are going to move our stuff from one house to another house.

Now I know I say Im moving but we aren't being reassigned a new military post. The development in which we live in has been slated for remodel since we moved here in 2009. It has taken them that long to get everything going and the first phase of homes have been remodeled and new people moved in. When we first found out we were moving (back in February) we were told that we were Phase Four or Five--something crazy so we thought it would be a while before we move. I mean come on, how often are dates correct with the military? Almost never! LOL So we will be moving from our existing 1920's home to a newly remodeled home about three miles down the street, on the same military post---but all in all, its still a move that we have to make.

How far are we with packing?
This is what we've gotten done so far:

This is my bare floor. I've not seen the tile on my floor since we got our stuff when we first moved here, so almost two years! Its strange seeing our bare floor.

Our Living Room with loads of boxes from the Living Room and Dining Room.

Oh yeah, all my husbands books are up against the wall. I believe he has six boxes of books. Maybe one of these years I'll convince him to donate his books to make it easier when we move

This is our Dining Room (the other side of the Living Room) This is where our mish-mash of boxes are being placed. There is only so much room in our house to put boxes so we pulled the table out from the wall and are using that empty space to store stuff.

This is our oldest daughter's room. She is still playing in her room, so some of her things are still out for her. Otherwise 90% of her room is packed and she's inheriting the Master Bedroom and Bathroom boxes.

Our room is the ONLY room that has curtains. But my lovely husband took down all the shelving on that wall, the nails that held his many hats, backpack, etc as well as all the photos that were hanging in our room. I filled in all the holes and now our children call our room the "naked" room.

It is sad to see how much progess we are making with the boxes, the bare walls and what not. One of the saddest things I am having a hard time about is our growth chart that I started when we first moved here. I know, we are military, I should know not to get attached to anything. I couldn't help it. My husband's duty assignment is three years, so I figured we'd be in the house that long. Every couple weeks/month I would mark the girls growth on the doorjam of our Kitchen. I love(d) seeing the growth of the girls when I would be making dinner, it was something sentimental--something I dont have very much of with us constantly moving around.

Isn't that sweet?!

I love all the little notes "first day of kindergarten", "Happy Nineth Birthday" but alas all good things must come to an end as I know in a couple of weeks our house will be demolished and so will our growth chart. My husband knew I was having a hard time dealing with leaving this behind that he suggested I talk with the neighbors about transferring it over to something else so that we can take the last two years with us from house to house. With the help of my fine neighbors (Who will be moving with us as well) I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up a growth chart. Today I transferred the dates and measurements over so that I can hang them in the new house and continue marking the girls height changes.

If all goes as planned, this will be our new home (the house on the left hand side)

The front yard is not desirable seeing as we have a huge cul-de-sac in our current home but the backyard butts up against those trees in the back giving us total privacy on the backside of our house.

We haven't figured out WHERE the girls will ride their bikes or if they will be sent back to PA when my folks visit in two weeks. I am hoping and praying that we have nice neighbors who will allow them to ride on the sidewalk across the street since they have the sidewalks and we do not.

But like my husband and I have said time and time again, God will make it work out how He wants it to be and not how we want it to be. It will be alright because He always provides and takes care of our family.

So probably for the rest of the month you will not hear from me as we'll be finishing up our packing, moving, changing over our cable/internet to the new home so that I can get connected as well as unpacking and getting settled while having visitors with us for about two weeks.

Once life settles down in our new home, I'll be back online and with a goodie to share.

Until next time . . .

Totally 80's

2011-03-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

Have you seen this kit from the ScrapMatters Design Team?

Doesn't it scream 80's?! I can totally see my childhood in the colors and the elements. Remember watching Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? What about Punky Brewster?! I think probably one of my favorites show was Mr. Belvedere; in fact my children often yell out "Good night Mr. Belvedere" except they have changed it to "Mrs Belvedere" Its quite cute how something my childhood is played out in my children's childhood! Oh the good old days, to be young again . . . .

I scrapped a layout yesterday and it wasn't for any requirement and it felt good! It all happened because I was going through the new posts at Digishop Talk looking for CT Calls and found a new collab product, Mini Builder over at The Lily Pad

Isn't it a cute kit?! Its Lego! Sure I have Flergs and Stolen Moment's Imagination Creation Mega Collection, but its softer, muted colors which dont really match the primary colors of Lego's. So I've never scrapped my children's Lego creations with that kit. Instead I used it to scrap Muppets 3-D from Disney!

Last night I bought the kit, downloaded it. Believe it or not, I actually UNZIPPED it on the spot. I know, that's so not like me! I usually wait months before unzipping my downloads that are not ct related! But not last night. Last night I decided to scrap my daughter's latest creation, her Log Cabin that she got earlier this year. The Log Cabin is a really neat set because it can be created in to three different houses. She was so cute when she made the first house. She quietly placed clues throughout the house for me to find her creation. When I found it I was so proud of her creation as it looked just like the one on the box. She was so proud of herself. Later that day she placed more clues around the house for me to find the second house. Of course I didn't follow them correctly or I wasn't paying attention because I couldn't find the second house. That's when she stepped in and said "Mama, its right in front of your face!" We laughed at my lack of map-reading skills and proceeded to look at her creation. The next day she made my favorite of the three. She and I played with the house for quite some time when I stopped to take photos of the house. I didn't know when or if I would scrap with the photos, but I knew I wanted to preserve her hard work on the houses with the photos. However last night when I purchased that kit I knew what photos I wanted to scrap! These photos!

click here for credits

Isn't it a cute layout?! I love how the background looks just like my daughter's green Lego base!

Alrighty, I need to get going. Lots going on today that need to get done.

Until next time . . . .

T.G.I. F.

2011-03-11T07:11:00.003-05:00

TGIF!
You know what that means?

Thank goodness it's Friday.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew you knew that.

But do you really know what it means for you as my reader? It means I have a Friday Freebie for you! However you have to read through my blog post of the layouts that I created with these fabulous new releases over at ScrapMatters!!

Have you ever signed up to get the ScrapMatters Newsletter?! You should seriously sign up. Each month there are interviews, challenges for additional prizes and even a hybrid project! On top of all that goodness, you get a free mini kit, which this month you can get the full kit a week early just by following the links in the ScrapMatters Newsletter! What a great perk!

This month I was able to work with the full kit of the Newsletter Sampler and let me tell you, I LOVE this kit and cannot wait for everyone to pick up their copy of the kit, Sunshine In Your Heart.

Click here for credits

Did you all know that I am guesting for the fabulous WM[Squared] Designs this month?! I am super excited to be working with her products again and have found myself in love with each and every product she releases! This week, she released two new creations Crazy Love and Lucky Me which I was able to scrap these beautiful layouts

Click here for credits

Think WM[Squared] will keep me on her CT instead of just having me guest?! Hey a gal can dream!

This week has been a very productive scrapbooking week! I cannot wait to see what next week brings. I have a hybrid project lined up for this weekend. Squeeee!! I cannot wait, but first I have to go to Yankee Candle and get a few buy one, get one free candles...know what I am talking about? Well if you dont, perhaps you should check out ScrapMatters Getting Hybrid Challenge for March 3.

Have you ever found yourself looking for a basic alpha when you are scrapbooking? I know I have. I know my friend, AussieGirl, is often saying "do you know of a basic black, silver or white alpha? Can you make me one?" So here it is folks, a new series (can you guess what it is?!)

Its going to be a series on alpha's that you can use in every day layouts!

But today we are starting off with the basic pewter alpha.

Like it?

Of course you do!

Feel free to download here but please make sure you leave a comment below. I've been reading them this week and look what you've been finding--more freebies! So keep those comments coming along and you'll find freebies filling my blog!

Alrighty, today is Friday. For you it meant freebie. For my children, it means I have to give them a spelling test as well as a couple other tests to finish up their week of schooling! (Ha-ha)

Until next time . . .

Design Star Moving On

2011-03-10T16:30:00.000-05:00

That's right, ScrapMatters announced all those designer moving on to Round 4 in this thread

Congratulations and I cannot wait to see what your final entry will be on March 21st!

Remember if any of you want FREE quality control, feel free to email me as I am willing to help you succeed and become the next Design Star!

Nothing new but a freebie

2011-03-09T21:32:00.001-05:00

That's right, its just another day here in my neck of the woods. I dont have much to say as I've not scrapped anything new. I have however been busy getting layouts created with my designers new releases this coming Friday. Let me tell you that the releases this Friday are going to be totally fabulous and you wont want to miss out on them!!

But enough about me . . . .what about you?

Tonight I was strolling along the forums at MouseScrappers. Have you ever been there? You should, its a great community all designated to Disney lovers. There is a gallery where you can get inspiration on your next Disney layout as well as Disney Challenges to help you scrap those Disney layouts. Anyways, tonight I stumbled across this thread asking for jewel Mickey heads. I figured it was a simple request so I went about and created 15 jeweled Mickey heads for this person (if she wants them) as well as to share with you guys

Like I said, there are 15 different colors for you to use throughout your next Disney layout.

Feel free to grab them here

Also if you use my things, feel free to pass the link along to me so I can see the creations in use as well as leave you love your fabulous project. One of the neatest treasures a designer can have is seeing their creation used in a project. I will always cherish those moments that I went into galleries seeing Neverland Scraps product being used. It is always a joy. So if you have them, share them! I'd love to see them!

Until next time . . .

Fat Tuesday (Freebie)

2011-03-08T04:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Fat Tuesday, Fasnacht, Punchki/Pączki day!!

So what is it in your household?!

In our household (growing up) it was fasnacht but when I got married and moved to Michigan it became punchki but lately I've been too lazy and have been calling it Fat Tuesday!

What's the big deal? Well for Catholics and those practicing Lent its like a final "horah" of food. I guess. Basically they had to use up all their lard, sugar, eggs, etc in the house because those things were forbidden during the time of Lent.

All I know is that you HAVE to eat a donut today or you will have a year of bad luck. . . .at least that's how I was raised! So did you have your donut today? Where did you get your donut, was it yummy? Are you going to scrapbook it?! Every year I take photos and say Im going to scrap it, but every year I forget about those photos causing them to never get scrapped! This year, I want to try to scrapbook them!

A while back, when my parents were visiting us for Thanksgiving, my children asked them if they would take them to the mall to have their photo taken in the Mall Photo Booth. You know what Im talking about. Its one of those sit-down photo booths that take a couple photos and print them out on photo strips for you to take home? At first everyone thought it was a great idea, since Mama and the girls doing it a couple times a year. But when we went to see how much it would cost for MeeMaw to take a photo set with each child and Grumpy to take a photo set with each child, it was a crazy amount! Each photo strip was $2.50. We decided with the poor quality that it wasn't worthwhile for us to do that adventure. A good adventure, but too expensive.

Right before my parents left, I asked my parents to sit on the sofa and take a few photos with each of the girls in hopes that I could try my hand at making my own photo strips. They agreed and took about eight photos with each kid, leaving me to my own to figure it all out. Many months went by and a couple weeks ago I made a template resembling the photo strip from an earlier visit to the mall. After I sat down I figured I could get three photo strips on one 8x10 paper and then it would only cost about $2.00 to have it printed at Walmart with good quality camera photos and print! I was estactic and sent the first batch up to Sams to be printed. The following day I went in to pick up my photos and immediately fell in love with my idea. I came home and scrapbooked the second set of photos from their visit in November. I was thrilled with the photo strips, that I immediately sent them to my parent's Walmart in their hometown, paid for the developing. It was then that I called my mom and told her that in an hour she could pick up photos from Walmart. She was curious and said it would have to wait until a later date. I was dissapointed that she didn't get them right away but knew she'd appreciate them when she did pick them up. Little did I know, that my not telling her what it was, got the better of her and she went to Walmart, picking up her 6 photo strips. She was thrilled to have her photo strips from her visit in November, came home and called us to tell us how happy she was to have them!

It was a great present and a great idea. In fact, it was too great of an idea to keep to myself and I would like to share it with you so that you can make your parents a beautiful photo strips for possibly Mother's Day or maybe even a birthday. What a great way to send off a bunch of photos at a fraction of the cost from the Mall's Photo Both and with better quality photos!

Just so you are aware, the example photo strips ARE NOT included in this download. Those are just an example of how I used them. In fact those photos are in my girls room, hanging besides their bed!

Do you want this Pixie Plate Photo Strips v.1?

What am I saying, of course you do!

You can download it here but make sure you take the time to leave some love below so I know my creations/sharing aren't in vain and that people really do appreciate the time and effort.

If you haven't done so already, make sure you head on out to the store and pick yourself up a donut!

Round Three Layout

2011-03-07T16:24:00.001-05:00

Okay I had to come back today and share a layout that I've done using MHK Scrap Bytes Design Star Round Two paper and Design Star Round Three elements

Click here to go to the papers

Click here to go to the elements

Arent those fabulous elements?!

I fell in love with them when I saw them in the gallery and knew I had to have them and scrapbook my girls adventure at the zoo.

Click here for credits

I never thought I would be an rectangle scrapper again, but I am really starting to appreciate the landscape look of these layouts! Who knows maybe I'll make an entire album this way. But then again, can I really scrap 100 pages this way when I am used to scrapping square?! Who knows, guess time will tell.

Anyways, if you haven't done so already, check out the entries from this week and scrap yourself a new layout with these fabulous designers!

Design Star Round Three

2011-03-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

Round Three has begun! No one was eliminated last week as it is a two-week challenge. The first week, they were asked to create a paper pack while the second week they were asked to create matching elements to their paper pack. This week, the entries are flying in and the gallery is filled with lots of talented work!

But first! Haynay Designs is hosting a Round 3 Template Challenge!

The rules are simple. It is to download this template, created by GeniaBeana Scraps, and using Round Two and Round Three entries, scrap a beautiful layout. When you are finished post in the correct gallery and in the thread. Isn't that easy?

So what are these products being submitted this week? Well only a few have come in and the rest are expected to be posted by a certain time today so you'll have to keep checking back. But here are a few element packs that I can show you, that I really like

Click here to be taken to this element pack

Click here to be taken to the element pack

There are many more, so make sure you head on over to ScrapMatters and check out the Design Star Gallery. Tune in tomorrow for a special treat!

Been sick

2011-03-06T23:55:00.000-05:00

I've been sick and its been the pits! I dont know what to tell you other than I went to the doctor because I lost my voice for several days while showing no other "sick" symptoms. While there they decided that I had bronchitis with probably pneumonia with a case of pharyngitis. I was put on some heavy-duty antibiotic which has knocked me down to a new low! I didn't realize I was sick, but once I started taking that medicine, the waterworks were on displaying horrible sick symptoms. Sadly while taking this medicine I seem to have lost my marbles and dont know which end is up! The other day I was asking the girls were I placed my water bottle and got upset with them when they gave me a dirty look. Turns out the water bottle was right in front of me but I didn't see it! I've started leaving notes because I tried making dinner twice while one was cooking in the oven, I tried making the following night's meal. It has been a crazy house over here!

But with all this resting I've been able to scrap a few layouts and get them posted online in a timely manner. Did you see Haynay Designs newest Dr Seuss kit, Whim-Silly that she came out with? Oh my goodness, its super cute and I couldn't help but not scrapbook with it!

click here for credits

Click here for credits

On top of scrapping with Heather's beautiful product, the lovely Chelle of Chelle's Creations RAK'ed me a beautiful kit, Fetch, so that I could scrapbook the new love in our life.

Click here for credits

Now you can't get too excited because we cannot keep due to my animal allergies. So for the time being, the girls run next door to the neighbors house and steal Zeke, but lately they've been stealing Lucy as well in hopes that I'll change my mind. Right now its a love/hate relationship, but for the next 9 days the girls will love having a puppy (or two) to take care of around the house.

The exciting thing is that my layout, Zeke, was featured on Chelle's blog this morning! You can find the post here and why it was picked for the standout. I have to admit this was a first time that this has happend in a very LONG time so it was quite the honor and totally made my day!

Can you believe that I scrapped with a boy kit? I know its craziness but GeniaBeana Scraps came out with a cute collab kit, Oh Boy! that I had to scrap these photos from earlier in the month

click here for credits

I know I blur out my family's photos but you should totally see the photos! The moment that the camera snapped I thought I missed the tower falling, but in fact it caught my daughter's shock, my husband's horror of the little tiny wooden pieces flying at him, it was perfect!

Even though I've been sick a lot things have been happening around Neverland Scraps household! One of the most important things that happened was my youngest learning to ride her bike. Earlier last year she was determined to ride her bike before the oldest learned how to ride her bike--know what Im talking about? "Anything you can do, I can do better . . . . " Yup, that's her! So when my oldest picked up riding her bike, she was devastated and refused to ride her bike or try to ride. Well for those of you who I haven't told, we are in the process of moving--again! That's right folks, the house we are living in is currently slated for demolition sometime in May. Housing is moving our family (and the families in our cul-de-sac) to one of the newer, remodeled homes a couple blocks down the street. So while we are moving, we are still staying at the same military base! Anyways, back to the bike riding! I wanted our youngest to be steady on her bike before the move because right now we have the perfect place for her to learn to ride her bike as we live in a cul-de-sac. What did this Mama do? I made a deal with her. If she learned to ride her bike before her seventh birthday I would buy her a Lego set from Toy's R Us. Guess what that child started to do?! That's right, every night, when the weather was nice, she was outside trying to learn how to ride her bike. There were countless days that I was running behind her bike barely holding on to her but she was still a little scared to do it herself. Then one day, she said "I am NOT coming inside until I know how to ride this bike" Sure enough, that night she learned how to ride her bike. Of course I had to scrapbooking and what better kit than WM[Squared]'s collab kit, Rainbows and Butterflies: The Collection.

click here for credits

Yup, my baby isn't a baby any more but a big kid who is bound and determined to succeed in life!

Last night I went to a Speed Scrap at ScrapMatters. Have you ever been to one?! They are amazing and a great way to challenge as well as encourage you to scrap outside your normal scrapping.

click here for credits

Yesterday's Participation Prize was a $5.00 gift certificate to Happy Scrap Girl Designs store. I couldn't believe that she was giving us $5.00 to spend in her store on anything that I wanted. I was thrilled. Not only did I scrap a beautiful layout, but I also got to spend that money in her store this afternoon--in fact I am currently downloading my product as I type!

Well I've rambled on enough. I best be stopping so I have something to say on Fat Tuesday. Speaking of, you better come back to my blog because I have a real treat for you!

Until next time . . .

Round Two of Design Star

2011-03-01T11:55:00.003-05:00

Round Two of Design Star is underway.

Have you checked out those who have made it on through Round One and what they submitted for Round Two?! If you haven't, it isn't too late because let me tell you the papers are just the beginning!

Here is a little teaser as to what you can find:

Click here to be taken to this paper pack

click here to be taken to this paper pack

But dont forget the other contestents who did not make it through Round One as they are playing along as well! Here is a little teaser of their products!

Click here to be taken to this paper pack

Dont forget to check them all out, leave some love and keep following to find out who is the next Design Star!

Design Star Announcement

2011-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

The announcement just went up as to who made it through Round One in ScrapMatters Design Star Contest!! Check it out here and see the ad below!

Congrats to all those who made it through Round One

Design Star is here!

2011-02-21T11:42:00.000-05:00

That's right ladies and gentlemen!! ScrapMatters Design Star has officially started this morning!!
Over 90 designers have the day to fill the Design Star Gallery with their mini kits! I cannot wait to see all the mini's uploaded to the gallery, hear the feedback on who is moving on. Such excitement.

Look at some of these entries:

click here to be taken to this mini

Click here to be taken to this mini

And that is just a small sampling of what is uploaded to the gallery already!

You really should check it out, cheer on the designers.

Pick up their minis, scrap with them and post them in the gallery!

If you want to participate there is a special Design Star Round 1 Challenge going on right now over at ScrapMatters with a fabulous participation prize from Krisi's Kreations

Check it out, scrap today.

Cheer on these fabulous designers!

ScrapMatters Quickpage Exchange

2011-02-17T11:40:00.000-05:00

This month quickpage exchange is using Amy Stoffel's Captivated By You.

This kit is like a breath of fresh air. It is full of flowers and bright cheery colors that will banish your winter blues. So come and join us for the Quickpage Exchange! Scrap one page using this versatile kit and get all the other quickpages in return. "Captivated by You" will be 30% off starting today through the end of the month.

For more details please see this thread here at ScrapMatters

This is my quickpage using Amy Stoffel's kit

Click here for credits

Can't wait to see what you do with this kit and quickpage exchange